Three Questions for Living as One Desires Beyond Moral Conceptions: Happiness, Security, Non-Harm, and Practical Wisdom
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: How can we live as we desire without relying on moral rules to tell us what to do? This paper develops a philosophical guide built around three questions: Will this action make me happy? Can I do this while preserving my security? Will this action harm others? Yes. Yes. No. Under this guide, all three conditions must be satisfied together. Each question checks what the others leave unsettled: wanting something does not establish that it is safe or harmless, while safety and non-harm alone do not determine the life a person wants. Greater expected happiness cannot compensate for failing either of the other conditions. Security includes the capacity to recover from setbacks, sustain the foundations of one’s life, and choose again. This leaves room for challenge and adventure while recognizing that the same risk may be bearable for one person and overwhelming for another. Practical wisdom connects these judgments to the search for alternatives. When an initial plan fails a condition, changing its scale, sequence, tools, or division of responsibilities may make another approach possible. Knowledge, technology, and cooperation can expand what a person can do while preserving happiness, security, and coexistence. Drawing on Epicurus, Aristotle, and modern and contemporary philosophy, the paper examines this approach through thought experiments involving starting a business and voluntary rescue. It addresses limited knowledge, self-justification, unequal capacities, and the possibility that repeated choices shape habits that influence future judgment. The proposal invites people to begin with their present knowledge and capacities, find a manageable next step, and develop their judgment through experience. It offers a philosophical account of how three simple questions can guide the pursuit of a desired life. Whether their use improves everyday decisions or happiness remains a question for empirical research.
Author: Lee, Taekyung
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225001167