Pursuit of happiness

This article is about the concept. For the rock band of the same name, see The Pursuit of Happiness.

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The pursuit of happiness is one of the unalienable rights enumerated in the United States Declaration of Independence. However, the phrase does not appear in the United States Constitution itself.

Related Topics:
Happiness - Unalienable rights - United States Declaration of Independence - United States Constitution

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The phrase has popped up in at least one Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, which focused on an anti-miscegenation statute. Justice Warren wrote:

Related Topics:
Loving v. Virginia - Miscegenation - Justice Warren

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:The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.

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It is worth noting that the declaration does not suggest a right to happiness itself; merely a right to pursue happiness. Thus, nobody can claim their rights are being violated simply because they are unhappy.

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