"The pursuit of happiness" is an attempt to express human rights in a positive way. That is, rather than say what the state cannot stop you from doing, it attem

"The pursuit of happiness" is an attempt to express human rights in a positive way. That is, rather than say what the state cannot stop you from doing, it attempts to say what it is you are supposed to be allowed to do. This is important because many people will want to say "I agree with human rights but why would you ever want to do X". "The pursuit of happiness" is an expression of what we are trying to protect: people freely choosing the lifestyle that they feel is best.