“For Socrates, virtue was nothing but its own pursuit. And only the promise of happiness is happiness itself.”

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of property were just what Aristotle did not talk about. They are the conditions of happiness; but the essence of happiness, according to Aristotle, is virtue. So the moderns decided to deal with the conditions and to let happiness take care of itself.”

“Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.”

“As with the pursuit of happiness, the pursuit of truth is itself gratifying whereas the consummation often turns out to be elusive.”

“Liberal relativism has its roots in the natural right tradition of tolerance or in the notion that everyone has a natural right to the pursuit of happiness as he understands happiness; but in itself it is a seminary of intolerance.”

“The pursuit of happiness is more about the pursuit than the happiness.”

“Beauty was the promise of happiness, not happiness itself; and the anticipated world was often more rich than anything real.”

“Beauty is nothing other than the promise of happiness.”

“It is the pursuit of happiness that brings us happiness, and not the happiness achieved.”

“The way of Socrates had shown itself to be a limited way because it concerned itself “only with the scientific investigation of justice and the virtues,” and it had shown itself to be an intransigent way because it chose “non-conformity and death.” Plato corrected the way of Socrates—he removed the limitation and tempered its intransigence.”