A Study of Thaddeus Metz’s Views on Happiness and its Relation to Meaning of Life

The purpose of this article is to identify and analyze Thaddeus Metz’s views on happiness and its relation to meaning of life. In the past, the issue of happiness was a comprehensive one including the meaning of life. Thaddeus Metz has tried to indicate that meaning of life, like ethics and happiness, is one of moral categories of life and can not be reducted to ethics or happiness. Therefore, happiness, from Metz's point of view, means positive and pleasant experiences. Metz belives that human has two selves: animal and rational one; so, in addition to happiness and pleasure, he also needs meaning. Metz's effort is to explain that these two categories are different. By reflecting on Metz's various works, we try to critically study Metz's view on some of the characteristics and features of happiness and the relation of these characteristics and features to meaning of life.