Why economists should be unhappy with the economics of happiness

Economics and Philosophy 24 (2):145-165 (2008)
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Abstract

The economics of happiness is an influential research programme, the aim of which is to change welfare economics radically. In this paper I set out to show that its foundations are unreliable. I shall maintain two basic theses: (a) the economics of happiness shows inconsistencies with the first person standpoint, contrary claims on the part of the economists of happiness notwithstanding, and (b) happiness is a dubious concept if it is understood as the goal of welfare policies. These two theses are closely related and lead to a third thesis: (c) happiness should be replaced by autonomy as the fundamental goal of welfare economics. To defend my claims I shall show that a hedonic approach to happiness leads to an awkward trilemma. Furthermore, I shall clarify the meaning of and , along with their conceptual relationships

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Pierluigi Barrotta
University of Pisa

Citations of this work

What If Well-Being Measurements Are Non-Linear?Daniel Wodak - 2019 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 97 (1):29-45.
Hedonism and welfare economics.Daniel M. Hausman - 2010 - Economics and Philosophy 26 (3):321-344.
Which Problem of Adaptation?Willem van der Deijl - 2017 - Utilitas 29 (4):474-492.
The Eclipse of Value-Free Economics. The concept of multiple self versus homo economicus.Aleksander Ostapiuk - 2020 - Wrocław, Polska: Publishing House of Wroclaw University of Economics and Business.

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References found in this work

Freedom of the will and the concept of a person.Harry G. Frankfurt - 1971 - Journal of Philosophy 68 (1):5-20.
The Morality of Freedom.Joseph Raz - 1986 - Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press.
After Virtue.A. MacIntyre - 1981 - Tijdschrift Voor Filosofie 46 (1):169-171.
The Morality of Freedom.Joseph Raz - 1986 - Philosophy 63 (243):119-122.
Welfare, happiness, and ethics.L. W. Sumner - 1996 - New York: Oxford University Press.

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