Ekonomie a štěstí: proč více někdy není lépe

Economics and Happiness: Why More is Sometimes not Better

Lubomir Mlcoch ()

Politická ekonomie, 2007, vol. 2007, issue 2, 147-163

Abstract: The author raises doubts about a sense of "catching up" and an idolatry of HDP's growth. His argumentation is based on the longitudinal international research of the link "economics-happiness" at the frontier between economics and psychology. The rationality of economic science "more is better" is bounded by environmental and relational externalities: it is just what a "theory of happiness" argues against a "joyless economy". The family-household is an old istitution esp. loosing in a competition with the market economy. The article stresses a role of "relational goods" explaining why more is sometimes less. The loss of happiness in market democracies (R.Lane) is the reason for a crisis of economic paradigm; it has a chance to be healed by a switch from the principle of imperial equivalence to a reciprocity (economy of communion). Implications for economic policies based on a "science of happiness" reverse the link "economics-happiness" making from HDP growth a by-product of our effort for happiness.

Keywords: Economic rationality vs. subjective happiness; equivalence vs. reciprocity; goods; positional goods; relational goods; economics of family; economy of communion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A12 A13 B40 D10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.594

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