Happiness, Ethics, and Politics: Introduction, History and Conceptual Framework

Excerpt

Many people (perhaps especially readers of this journal) tend to believe that it is ultimately happiness that makes a life worth living, i.e. that the good life is identical with the happy life. Some endorse a closely related ethical view: the fundamental ethical view that we have a strong moral reason to do what we can to maximize the happiness and minimize the suffering and unhappiness in the world. For instance, most people who are engaged in happiness research seem to believe not just that we have a strong prudential reason to promote our own happiness, but also that we have a strong moral reason to promote the happiness of others, e.g. to do what we can to make other people happier. Some also endorse a related view about politics: the main political aim should be to promote the happiness of the population. …