Happiness without Fetishes

The key idea: “happiness” is not a monolithic psychological state but a constellation of co-equal domains whose balance enables full and just lives. To reduce well-being to income, utility, or demand reveals more a methodological bias than a humanist understanding of development. Against this narrowing, the capability–functionings framework (Sen) and the architecture of Gross National Happiness (nine domains) reposition public policy in the arena where value truly takes shape: health, education, time, community, culture, governance, living standards, environment, and psychological well-being. Their strength is not utopian but pragmatic: to guide comparative decisions, eliminate suboptimal options, and maximise real freedoms to be and do what people value.This ecology of ends has a dual valence. Intrinsic: living without violence, learning with meaning, cultivating bonds and safeguarding the biosphere are valuable in themselves. Instrumental: domains mutually reinforce each other (e.g., quality education improves health, civic agency, and productivity; vibrant communities reduce conflict and transaction costs). The programmatic consequence is clear: composite metrics and public deliberation must govern — not “correlates” of self-reported satisfaction, easily manipulated or blind to unequal conversion of resources into capabilities. Success, not utopia, demands “joined-up” policies: values in curricula, school-based mindfulness, infrastructures of care, social time, and environmental custodianship, all assessed by cost-effectiveness and their impact on substantive freedoms. The outcome is not another index replacing judgement, but a framework to civilise the economy, reconciling prosperity with dignity and ecological limits. 

Rethinking Progress Through Wellbeing

In a pivotal gathering that transcended conventional metrics of national prosperity, the Wellbeing and Public Policy Conference convened a diverse spectrum of international academics, governmental strategists, and policy analysts to deliberate how the evolving science of wellbeing could reshape the architecture of public governance. Prompted by the influential Stiglitz Report, which challenged the sufficiency of GDP as a proxy for societal progress, the event hosted 45 in-depth papers traversing philosophical frameworks, measurement techniques, empirical insights, and practical policy applications. Central to the discourse were four keynote contributions: Andrew Clark dissected the Easterlin paradox, exploring how income comparisons distort the relationship between wealth and happiness; Robert Cummins advanced the controversial set-point theory, suggesting individual wellbeing maintains a stable baseline; Paul Frijters interrogated the resilience of happiness in response to life’s adversities, offering evidence for psychological recovery and second chances; and Robert MacCulloch linked affective states to macroeconomic decisions, illustrating how emotions like contentment and anxiety can influence fiscal policy. A rich tapestry of presentations examined pressing themes such as children’s wellbeing, intergenerational poverty, gendered impacts of labor participation, and regional deprivation, while also showcasing progressive frameworks like Gross National Happiness and the Oxfam Humankind Index as viable alternatives to monolithic economic indicators. Scholars underscored the inadequacy of one-dimensional statistics and called for multidimensional, culturally sensitive indicators capable of capturing lived realities and informing equitable resource distribution. Particularly urgent was the call to integrate the perspectives of children, disabled populations, and marginalized groups, often excluded from standard wellbeing metrics. Operationally, institutions like the New Zealand and Australian Treasuries unveiled emerging wellbeing frameworks designed to embed subjective wellbeing into decision-making processes, marking a shift toward proactive, human-centered policy. The conference crystallized a growing consensus: that wellbeing should not be a secondary outcome of economic activity, but rather the explicit goal of modern governance. In conclusion, the event catalyzed a broader movement toward embedding empathy, equity, and evidence at the core of public policy, advancing a paradigm in which human flourishing supplants profit as the ultimate measure of progress.

Morrison, P.S. & Weijers, D., 2012. Wellbeing and Public Policy Conference: A Report on the June 2012 Conference in Wellington, New Zealand.