When I was finishing high school in Quebec at the age of 16, my morals and ethics teacher announced to the class he had the most profound approach to discussing any subject. Mr. Decary looked the part with his long grey beard and his beret. Once I saw him bike home while smoking his pipe. He said: « Distinguer sans séparer afin de mieux unir sans confondre. » Which can roughly be translated to “Distinguish without separating in order to better unite without confusing. » It can be retraced to the philosophical tradition of the French priest and humanitarian Abbé Pierre.
With this in mind, I wish to explore the philosophical roots of the « joie de vivre » while distinguishing it from pleasure and happiness.
Frédéric Lenoir discusses joy in several of his books, but the one most focused on this theme is: “La puissance de la joie” (The Power of Joy) – 2015
In this book, Lenoir explores joy as a transformative force in life. He argues that joy is not just an emotion but a state of being that can be cultivated through awareness, presence, and a deeper connection to oneself and the world.
Frédéric Lenoir distinguishes between plaisir, joie, and bonheur in a way that reflects different levels of depth and sustainability in human experience.
Joie (Joy): Lenoir describes joy as deeper than pleasure because it arises from within. It is often linked to a sense of fulfillment, love, creativity, or connection with others. Unlike pleasure, joy can come unexpectedly and is not dependent on external conditions. It is also more lasting in its effects, leaving a profound emotional imprint.
Joy is deeper than pleasure: Unlike fleeting pleasures, joy arises from within and is not dependent on external circumstances.
Joy is spontaneous but can be cultivated: Practices like gratitude, meditation, and living in the present moment help nurture joy.
Joy connects us to life’s essence: It emerges in moments of deep love, beauty, creativity, and self-transcendence.
Frédéric Lenoir sees joy (joie) as one of the most profound and meaningful human experiences. Unlike pleasure (plaisir), which is fleeting and dependent on external stimuli, joy arises from within and is often spontaneous. It is linked to love, creativity, connection with nature, and deep moments of presence.
Plaisir (Pleasure): It is linked to the senses and is temporary. Pleasure is often associated with external stimuli, such as eating good food, listening to music, or enjoying a beautiful view. While it brings satisfaction, it is fleeting and can sometimes lead to dissatisfaction when it fades, creating a need for repetition.
In Du bonheur, un voyage philosophique, he describes joy as a gift of the present moment—something that cannot be forced or controlled but can be cultivated through mindfulness, gratitude, and self-awareness. He draws from thinkers like Spinoza, who viewed joy as an increase in our capacity to exist and act freely.
Lenoir also contrasts joy with happiness (bonheur): while happiness is a more stable state of well-being, joy is a powerful, fleeting experience that gives us glimpses of true fulfillment. He encourages people to seek and welcome joy in their lives, as it is one of the best ways to cultivate deeper happiness.
Bonheur (Happiness): Happiness, for Lenoir, is a more stable and enduring state of being. It is not just a succession of joys but a cultivated way of living, often tied to wisdom, self-awareness, and a meaningful life. Happiness involves inner peace, a sense of purpose, and the ability to accept both joyful and painful moments with serenity.
Lenoir discusses how joy can be both deep and multifaceted, arising from different sources like personal growth, connection with others, spirituality, and nature. While he doesn’t explicitly use “joies de vivre” in the plural, his approach implies multiple kinds of joy that are context-dependent.
Nietzsche sees joy (Freude) as an Affirmation of Life. That true joy comes from saying “yes” to all aspects of life—including struggle, suffering, and imperfection.
In the thought experiment of eternal recurrence (die ewige Wiederkehr), Nietzsche asks: Would you be able to relive your life, exactly as it is, over and over again? Only those who fully embrace life—including suffering—experience the highest form of joy, where they can say “Yes! I want this again!”
Lenoir, in La puissance de la joie, echoes Nietzsche’s view that joy is not about escaping suffering but about embracing life as a whole.
The “de vivre” in joie de vivre is crucial because it emphasizes that joy is not just an isolated feeling but a way of engaging with life itself. Unlike fleeting pleasures, joie de vivre refers to a deep, ongoing appreciation for life in all its richness—its beauty, struggles, surprises, and moments of transcendence.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), a German philosopher writing in the wake of the decline of religious faith in Europe, saw joie de vivre as the ability to say “yes” to life in its entirety, including struggle and suffering. His concept of Dionysian joy embraces the wild, creative, and unpredictable nature of existence.
Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), a Dutch philosopher of the Enlightenment who challenged religious orthodoxy with his rationalist worldview, linked joy (laetitia) to an increase in one’s power to act. For him, joie de vivre happens when we align ourselves with life’s natural flow and expand our potential.
Henri Bergson (1859–1941), a French philosopher responding to the rise of scientific determinism, saw joie de vivre as a connection to élan vital, the creative force of life that pushes us forward. True joy, in his view, is found in movement, creation, and renewal.
Frédéric Lenoir (born 1962), a contemporary French philosopher and writer exploring spirituality and meaning in a secular world, argues in La puissance de la joie that joie de vivre is a state of being cultivated through presence, gratitude, and connection. Unlike pleasure, which depends on external factors, joie de vivre is an inner force that can exist even in difficult times.
Several Québec-born philosophers have explored joie de vivre in ways that reflect the province’s cultural blend of French heritage, Catholic traditions, and a modern secular outlook.
Jacques Dufresne (born 1941 in Montreal), a philosopher and essayist, writes about happiness and the art of living well. His work draws from both Western and Eastern traditions. He sees joie de vivre as being linked to a sense of wonder, simplicity, and balance. His ideas can be found in works such as L’art de vivre (The Art of Living), where he promotes a holistic vision of happiness that integrates nature, contemplation, and ethical living. Dufresne’s focus is on living in harmony with oneself and the world, cultivating joy through an open and reflective attitude toward life.
Fernand Dumont (1927–1997, born in Saint-Jacques-de-Leeds, Quebec), a philosopher, sociologist, and theologian, explored the ways culture and collective identity shape our experience of joy and fulfillment. His work emphasized the role of memory, language, and tradition in creating a sense of belonging, which contributes to joie de vivre. Dumont’s ideas on this subject are found in his influential book Le sens du bonheur (The Meaning of Happiness). In this work, he argues that joie de vivre is rooted in Québec’s cultural heritage and the collective memory that binds individuals to their communities.
André Moreau (born 1941 in Quebec City), a philosopher known for his radical, life-affirming approach to thought, rejects pessimism and nihilism in favor of total joy. His philosophy, influenced by Nietzsche and Bergson, argues that true joy comes from embracing existence in all its aspects, including both pleasure and struggle. This perspective is central to his work Le philosophe et la joie (The Philosopher and Joy), where he defends a philosophy of joyful affirmation and an enthusiastic embrace of life, no matter the circumstances.
Charles Taylor (born 1931 in Montreal), a philosopher deeply concerned with issues of identity and secularism, has also contributed to the understanding of joie de vivre in the context of modernity. In works such as Sources of the Self and The Ethics of Authenticity, Taylor explores how authenticity and moral depth are central to leading a fulfilling life. He suggests that joie de vivre arises not from superficial pleasures but from deep engagement with personal and collective values. Taylor’s ideas focus on the need to align one’s life with deeper, shared meanings and to live authentically within a community.
So there you have it. Many thinkers. Many points of view about la Joie de vivre.
The exploration of “joie de vivre” has traditionally centered around the singular concept of a life-affirming attitude—a universal joy that encapsulates one’s capacity to embrace life in its entirety. However, what is novel about my approach is the decision to focus on les joies de vivre (the joys of living) in the plural form. This perspective acknowledges that joy is not a singular, uniform experience but a multifaceted, context-dependent phenomenon that emerges from different aspects of life—whether through creativity, relationships, personal growth, or simple pleasures.
By embracing this plural approach, we move beyond the idea of a single, static joy and recognize that fulfillment arises from a dynamic and varied engagement with life. It is about recognizing and nurturing the diverse sources of joy that, when cultivated together, lead to a richer and more profound sense of well-being. This perspective invites individuals to explore multiple avenues for joy, understanding that true fulfillment comes not from a singular joy but from the continuous discovery and experience of the many joys life has to offer.