C-030Well-Being and Its MeasurementConfidence: High
Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Selection)
Sumner (1996)
One-Sentence Thesis
The chapter develops a subjective theory of welfare, connecting it with happiness or life satisfaction, and argues that this theory provides the best picture of the nature of welfare.
Argument Outline
- 1Introduction to the concept of welfare and its subjective nature
- 2Critique of classical hedonism and desire theory as inadequate accounts of welfare
- 3Development of a new theory of welfare, focusing on happiness and life satisfaction
- 4Discussion of the relationship between pleasure, pain, and happiness
- 5Introduction of the concept of authentic happiness, requiring information and autonomy
Key Distinctions
Subjective vs. objective theories of welfare
Hedonism vs. desire theory
Pleasure vs. happiness
Enjoyment vs. suffering
Key Terms
Welfare
A subjective concept, dependent on an individual's attitudes and experiences
Happiness
A complex and multi-faceted notion, connected to life satisfaction and enjoyment
Authentic happiness
A concept requiring information and autonomy, and involving a subject's endorsement of the conditions of their life
Flashcards
47 cardsRelated Questions
3
Which concept is a central focus of Sumner's "Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Selection)"?
3
What is the relationship between pleasure and happiness, according to the chapter?
4
In Sumner's "Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Selection)", welfare defines which of the following?
3
In Sumner's "Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Selection)", subjective theories criticizes which of the following?
3
In Sumner's "Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Selection)", L. W. Sumner develops which of the following?
3
In Sumner's "Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Selection)", L. W. Sumner rejects which of the following?