Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues on Happiness: Lessons From Evolutionary Biology

Abstract

Despite recent intense interest, happiness studies have been impeded by some conceptual and methodological problems, including viewing happiness (well-being/welfare) as different over different persons, as relative, multi-dimensional, non-cardinally measurable, interpersonally non-comparable and using non-cardinal and interpersonally non-comparable methods of happiness measurement. Using the evolutionary biology of happiness, this paper argues that happiness is absolute, universal, and unidimensional and is also cardinally measurable and interpersonally comparable. This is needed to make choices motivated by reward (pleasure) and punishment (pain) consistent with fitness maximization. However, happiness indices obtained by virtually all existing methods of happiness measurement are largely non-cardinal and non-comparable, making the use of averaging in group happiness indices of dubious philosophical validity. A method of measuring happiness to give cardinal and interpersonally comparable indices is discussed. These may contribute towards the more scientific study of happiness that is based on sounder methodological grounds as well as yielding more useful results.

Unsatisfying ordinalism: The breach through which happiness (re)entered economics

“…Yew-Kwang Ng returned to the field (Chen et al, 2017;Ng, 1996Ng, , 1997Ng, , 1999aNg, , 1999bNg, , 2001Ng, , 2002aNg, , 2002bNg, , 2003Ng, , 2008Ng, , 2022Ng & Ho, 2006;Ng, 2015;Ye et al, 2015) and Easterlin, alongside with the edition of the Critical Writings on Happiness in Economics, has been publishing articles on happiness (see Easterlin [2001aEasterlin [ , 2001bEasterlin [ , 2002aEasterlin [ , 2002bEasterlin [ , 2003aEasterlin [ , 2003bEasterlin [ , 2005Easterlin [ , 2006Easterlin [ , 2009Easterlin [ , 2013Easterlin [ , 2017Easterlin [ , 2019. Richard Layard rediscovered the topic of economics of happiness.…”

Some Conceptual Mistakes About Happiness

“…As the degree of hungriness varies continuously, you must be able to compare on a one-dimensional scale to choose in a way consistent with fitness maximization. What contributes to fitness (survival and reproduction) more should also yield more happiness to ensure that choices based on welfare maximization by an individual of a rational species are also roughly consistent with fitness maximization (Ng 1995(Ng , 2015.…”

“…Not only is interpersonal comparison of happiness possible (though with difficulties if precision is required), even interspecies comparison is also possible. (For more details, see Ng 1995Ng , 2015Carpendale 2015. ) On the other hand, the emergence of more species capable of making flexible choices made the environment more complex.…”