نبذة مختصرة : Pursuit of happiness is a highly valued human ambition that seems impossible to achieve in modern society. Ancient Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia, present a theoretical starting point for defining happiness and bringing it firmly into relation with values. Philosopher Herbert Marcuse provides a valuable analysis of modern industrialized society explaining man’s loss of freedom in exchange for comfort and the self-perpetuating mechanism of consumerism that keeps people under willingly oppressed by imposing false needs. Consumerism also causes a distortion of people’s values and alienates them from their true values causing them psychological damage. Using Dr. Melanie Joy’s analysis of the psychological importance of living in accordance with one’s values and the distortion of values as a manipulation tactic common to different systems of oppression (racism, sexism, speciesism) we will identify two prerequisite conditions for achieving happiness: freedom and the alignment of values and behavior. Key words: happiness, freedom, values, false needs, consumerism
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