In Chapter 3 of Bertrand Russell's 'Conquest of Happiness', he critiques the notion of competition, asserting it leads to a 'struggle for success' that diminishes true happiness and civilized life. Russell argues that modern society equates wealth with status and happiness, creating a relentless pursuit of money that alienates individuals from their true selves and intellectual pleasures. He warns that this obsession with competitive success ultimately breeds tension, consumerism, and a mechanized existence devoid of genuine fulfillment.

1. Bertrand Russell’s essay “Conquest of
Happiness”
Chapter # 3 “Competition
”
Abdul Ghaffar 2k16-BLENG-4
BS English p-3
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2. • Struggle for Life
• Hectic Life
• Money race
• Money determine social
status
• Money, as measure of
knowledge
• Money, as a source of
happiness
• Money, standard of prestige
and honor
• Competition, led to decay of
civilized life
• Competition is source of
tension and trouble
• Man nothing but a machine
• Consumerism concept of
things
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Key points

3. Struggle for life
• According to people in America or England, the only thing
that interferes their lives and enjoyments is “struggle for
life” or the competition especially between businessmen
• says that in some situations it’s true but on the other hand
this statement is completely wrong. Russell says that
struggle for life occurs to those who are unlucky, weak and
submissive.
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4. Cont.….
• Russell provides an accurate phrase for
“struggle of life” which is “struggle for
success” and according to him this is
actually what people mean as well but they
are unable to name it. for such trivial things
just for the sake of their own dignity.
•
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5. Hectic life
• , Russell points out that man does not seem to realize that
they are “caught in the grip of a mechanism from which
there is no escape” and Russell also points out the drawback
of such mechanism and thus put forward his statement that
such mechanism repeat themselves and do not allow man
“up to a higher level.” Then Russell provides the reader
with a business man’s life in which he is very busy towards
his struggle for life or success.
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6. • life in which he is very busy towards his struggle for life or
success. Russell points out that throughout the day such a
man is all engaged in great executions, firm law, “a decisive
manner of speech, and an air of sagacious reserve” to
impress the allied class and not the “office boy”. He keep in
touch with his profitable persons and such a routine is
continued till dinner time. Also at dinner table, he has to
pretend to enjoy the company of his lady. Russell call such
people “poor man” who are unable to escape unless or until
they sleep. . Through this detailed description of such a
hectic life,
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7. Money race
• Russell is actually pointing out that modern era replaced
happiness with money. the more you have money
and products he more you will remain
happy. In short, your happiness relies on
how much money you have
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8. Money determine social status
• From early years American boys considered
money as important to attain status and do
not bother to get any kind of education
which is deprived of money value.
Education is considered to be a capacity for
enjoyment. In eighteen century it was one
of the sign of gentleman to take pleasure in
literature, pictures and music. But rich man
of present age seems different from that
gentleman of previous age 8

9. Money measure of knowledge
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• . Also, modern man is of the view that may be money can’t
make a man grand but a man cannot be grand without
money so modern man believes that money is a precursor
for a grand personality. Also, modern age accepts the belief
that the amount of money calculates the mental level of man
which means that the more money you have, the more
clever and acceptable person you are and the man who is
unable to compete and make money is thought to be fool,
useless and burden on earth.

10. Money, standard of prestige and
honor
• The typical modern man desires” a huge
amount of money along with a higher
reputation and splendid life than others.
They not only want to get more but actually
they are more indulged in leaving others
behind this is the reason of unhappiness
according to Russell.
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11. Money source of trouble and
tension
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• Russell then through his example of Arnold Bennett’s
Clayhanger presents the idea that at a time you can be very
rich but in the meanwhile you can have many fears of life
which dominates over your happiness moment
• .

12. Cont.…
• Russell then promotes his idea in one whole para and
affirms that according to him, troubles come from “much
emphasis upon competitive success as the main source of
happiness”. Russell says that success can give you
happiness and he is not completely denying with this
concept but then he says that if money does give happiness
then such happiness is limited to a specific part of age and
after that you need other things to get happiness
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13. Competition, decay of civilized
life
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• The emphasis on competition in modern life is connected
with decay of civilized standards. People in urge to compete
with one another destroy civilized values of life and their
ways to get pleasure and respect are uncivilized and
corrupted. As man cross moral limits of earning to get
money in order to get richer and richer in urge to mark
himself as superior and winner in modern life of
competition. Men and women in society are incapable of
enjoying intellectual pleasures.

14. Man nothing but a machine
Russell is trying to point out that in such a competitive era
and life, man has forgot himself and his originality and now
he is nothing but a machine.
• of modern life gives rise to “loneliness”. Modern man is
alienated from everything even from his own very nature. His
view of life is becoming “more concentrated and his life
outside business more desiccated”. In fact, modern man is not
living being, rather he is a dummy or a machine which is used
for specific purpose and outside that purpose he is useless.
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15. Consumerism concept of things
• Russell is actually pointing out that modern era replaced
happiness with money. Modern age gives a consumerism
concept of things, the more you have money and products
he more you will remain happy. In short, your happiness
relies on how much money you have. This also gives rise to
the point that modern man is trying to buy happiness
through money.
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