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What the Founders Meant By Happiness
Module 2

Order and the 12 Virtues

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In his 1735 essay On True Happiness, Benjamin Franklin advises: “all true happiness, as all that is truly beautiful, can only result from order.” To Franklin and the founding generation, order was a core prerequisite for the pursuit of happiness. In this module, we will trace an intellectual history of order and self-mastery, beginning with the Roman Stoics, and continuing through the Founding generation.

What the Founders Meant by Happiness

Grounded in History

When the Founders wrote about the pursuit of happiness, they had a very specific meaning in mind—one rooted in ancient philosophy rather than modern pleasure. Uncover the ideas, books, and daily practices that shaped their understanding of what it means to live well.

Moral Philosophy and Classical Virtues

When the Founders spoke about happiness, they were drawing on a long tradition of ancient moral philosophy. For them, happiness was not an emotion but a way of living—one grounded in virtue, reason, and disciplined character.

Click through the accordions below to learn more.
The Classical View of Happiness
Virtues as Habits of Character
The Role of Reason and Moderation
Lifelong Effort and Self-Reflection

Education, Reason, and the Pursuit of Character

For the Founders, education was not merely about acquiring knowledge or professional skills. It was a moral project aimed at shaping judgment, discipline, and civic responsibility.

Franklin’s virtue-tracking system and Jefferson’s canons of conduct reflect a belief in intentional self-improvement through daily moral effort.

Both systems emphasize the importance of consistent reflection and practice in cultivating personal virtue and ethical behavior.

Ancient philosophers taught that reason should guide passion, not suppress it, allowing emotions to serve ethical judgment.

This balance between reason and emotion fosters a harmonious approach to decision-making and moral action.

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that virtue lies between excess and deficiency, requiring moderation, judgment, and self-awareness.

By practicing the Golden Mean, individuals can achieve a balanced and virtuous life.

Moral education prepared individuals for responsible self-governance and participation in civic life.

It emphasized the development of virtues necessary for contributing to the common good and fostering a healthy society.

Happiness Then and Now

The founders’ understanding of happiness differs sharply from modern assumptions.

Sort the ideas below to compare these two views.

Check Your Understanding

According to the Founders’ moral philosophy, what did the 'pursuit of happiness' primarily mean?
Which idea best reflects the role of education in the founders’ understanding of happiness?

Concluding Module 2

Rethinking the Pursuit of Happiness

The Founders’ understanding of happiness challenges modern assumptions by placing character, reason, and lifelong learning at its center. Rather than promising comfort or constant satisfaction, this tradition invites us to see happiness as an ongoing moral practice—one shaped by discipline, reflection, and a commitment to becoming better over time.

Key Takeaways

  1. Happiness, for the Founders, meant being good rather than feeling good.
  2. Moral philosophy and classical virtues provided a framework for self-mastery and ethical living.
  3. Education was intended to form character, in addition to building knowledge and skills.
  4. Reason was meant to guide emotion, producing balance and judgment rather than suppression.
  5. Lifelong learning was central to the pursuit of happiness.
  6. Imperfection is inevitable, but continuous moral striving is what gives the pursuit its meaning.

Food For Thought

  1. How does the Founders’ definition of happiness—as the cultivation of virtue and character—challenge or reshape your own understanding of what it means to live a good life?
  2. What daily habit or practice could you adopt to support lifelong learning or moral self-improvement, and what obstacles might make that commitment difficult to sustain?

Optional Reading

  1. Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness, Chapter 1
  2. Cicero, The Tusculan Disputations
Created in partnership with Arizona State University.
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