On the Proposition that “People’s Happiness Is the Ultimate Human Right”

HU Yuhong

Abstract: The important proposition that “People's happiness is the ultimate human right" not only points out the intrinsic connection between the people's happiness and human rights but also clarifies the development direction and main focus of human rights. Happiness is the purpose of life. It means a life of taste, quality, and a higher level. In contemporary China, people’s happiness mainly refers to material abundance and security. Meeting people’s needs for happiness is mainly reflected in three aspects, namely “the strictest supervision, the most severe punishment for violators, and the most serious accountability system for food safety,” “realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the people,” and “making the people feel a sense of gain, happiness, and pride.” Life is the foundation of human rights. It shall be ensured that people can handle their own affairs by the principle of autonomy, shape their individual lives, and have the right to be themselves, plan their lives, and arrange their livelihoods, supporting them in pursuing happiness. Institutional arrangements of human rights or rights also provide people with multiple dimensions of participation in life, offering them with opportunities to express and develop themselves. The right to pursue happiness is the most important basic human right and has the dual attributes of both a passive right and a positive right. In terms of the nature of rights, the right to pursue happiness is of the type that is individual-driven, enjoyed by everyone, and protected by the state. It includes a collective bundle of rights. Taking people’s happiness as the ultimate human right reflects the people-centered values of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government and their mission to secure the people's happiness. This represents the highest moral responsibility of China as a socialist state to its people.