8.4 Well-Being
3 min read•june 24, 2024
Well-being theories explore what makes life good and worth living. and focus on pleasure and happiness, while emphasizes fulfilling desires. Each approach offers unique insights into human and its challenges.
Objective goods like health and relationships contribute to well-being regardless of personal preferences. takes this further, linking well-being to virtue and realizing one's potential. These perspectives highlight the complexity of human thriving beyond mere pleasure or desire satisfaction.
Theories of Well-Being
Epicurean hedonism vs utilitarianism
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- Epicurean hedonism focuses on individual pleasure and avoidance of pain as the key to well-being
- Emphasizes simple pleasures (good food, friendship) and absence of pain
- Pursues , a state of tranquility and freedom from fear (inner peace)
- Utilitarianism defines well-being as maximizing overall happiness or utility for the greatest number
- Considers consequences of actions in determining moral worth (ends justify means)
- Recognizes individual pleasure may need to be sacrificed for greater good (higher taxes for social programs)
- Both theories emphasize importance of happiness and pleasure in well-being and acknowledge role of pain and suffering in diminishing it
- Epicurean hedonism focuses on individual pleasure, while utilitarianism considers happiness of all affected
- Utilitarianism emphasizes consequences of actions more, while Epicurean hedonism prioritizes personal pleasure
- Both theories contribute to our understanding of , which focuses on pleasure and pain
Strengths and limitations of satisfactionism
- Satisfactionism defines well-being as satisfaction of an individual's desires or preferences
- Extent to which a person's wants and goals are fulfilled determines their well-being
- Strengths:
- Accounts for subjective nature of well-being, recognizing individuals have different desires and goals
- Allows wide range of pursuits to contribute to well-being if they align with individual's preferences (career, hobbies, relationships)
- Limitations:
- Doesn't account for possibility of misinformed or misguided desires that may not actually contribute to well-being (addiction, self-harm)
- Fails to recognize potential for adaptive preferences, where individuals adjust desires based on limited options or oppressive circumstances (lowering expectations due to poverty)
- Doesn't consider inherent value of certain objective goods that may contribute to well-being regardless of individual preferences (health, education)
Objective Goods and Eudaimonism
Objective goods for well-being
- Health and physical well-being enable individuals to engage in activities and pursue goals without physical limitations
- Reduces burden of illness and pain, allowing for greater enjoyment of life
- Education and knowledge provide skills and understanding to navigate world and make informed decisions
- Enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, contributing to personal growth and fulfillment
- Social connections and relationships offer emotional support, companionship, and sense of belonging essential for
- Enable sharing experiences, learning from others, and finding meaning in interactions (friendships, family, community)
- Autonomy and self-determination allow individuals to make choices and have control over their lives
- Promotes sense of agency and responsibility
- Enables pursuit of personally meaningful goals and values, contributing to sense of purpose and fulfillment
- These objective goods contribute to overall
Approaches to eudaimonism
- defines well-being as realization of one's full potential through cultivation of virtue
- Emphasizes importance of developing good character traits (courage, justice, wisdom)
- Connects happiness to fulfillment of human nature and achievement of highest human good
- focuses on living in accordance with reason and virtue, regardless of external circumstances
- Emphasizes importance of inner tranquility and acceptance of one's fate
- Connects well-being to development of strong moral character and ability to maintain equanimity in face of adversity (resilience)
- Eudaimonism connects virtue and happiness to well-being
- Virtue seen as intrinsically valuable and essential for achieving genuine happiness and well-being
- Cultivating good character traits believed to lead to more fulfilling and meaningful life
- Happiness viewed as byproduct of living virtuous life, rather than end in itself
- represents the concept of living well and realizing one's full potential
Additional Perspectives on Well-Being
Subjective and Psychological Well-Being
- focuses on individuals' own evaluations of their lives
- Includes cognitive judgments of life satisfaction and emotional reactions to life events
- Psychological well-being emphasizes optimal psychological functioning and development
- Includes aspects such as personal growth, positive relationships, and sense of purpose
- Flourishing represents a state of optimal mental health, combining aspects of both subjective and psychological well-being
- Characterized by positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment
Key Terms to Review (13)
Aristotelian Eudaimonism: Aristotelian eudaimonism is a philosophical concept that defines well-being or human flourishing as the highest good and the ultimate aim of human life. It emphasizes the importance of living a virtuous life in order to achieve eudaimonia, a state of deep and lasting happiness and fulfillment.
Ataraxia: Ataraxia is a state of serene calmness and freedom from disturbance or worry, often sought after in ancient Greek philosophy as the ideal state of being. It is a key concept in the philosophical traditions of Epicureanism and Stoicism, which emphasize the pursuit of inner tranquility and freedom from emotional turmoil.
Epicurean Hedonism: Epicurean hedonism is a philosophical perspective that emphasizes the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain as the highest good and the primary goal of human existence. It is based on the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, who believed that the key to a fulfilling life is to cultivate a state of ataraxia, or tranquility of the mind.
Eudaimonia: Eudaimonia is a central concept in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of Aristotle. It refers to the highest human good, a state of well-being and flourishing that is the ultimate aim of human existence and ethical behavior.
Eudaimonism: Eudaimonism is a virtue-based approach to ethics that emphasizes the importance of living a life that promotes human flourishing and well-being. It focuses on the cultivation of virtuous character traits and the pursuit of a meaningful, fulfilling existence.
Flourishing: Flourishing refers to the state of optimal human functioning, where individuals thrive and experience a high level of well-being. It encompasses the holistic development and fulfillment of one's potential, both mentally and physically, leading to a meaningful and purposeful life.
Hedonic Well-Being: Hedonic well-being refers to the subjective experience of pleasure, happiness, and positive emotions. It focuses on the momentary feelings and sensations that contribute to an individual's overall sense of well-being and life satisfaction.
Psychological Well-Being: Psychological well-being refers to the state of positive mental health and overall life satisfaction, encompassing factors such as self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, and positive relationships with others. It is a multidimensional construct that goes beyond just the absence of mental illness or distress.
Quality of Life: Quality of life refers to the overall well-being and satisfaction an individual experiences in various aspects of their life, including physical, mental, social, and emotional dimensions. It encompasses an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of their culture, values, goals, and expectations.
Satisfactionism: Satisfactionism is the view that well-being or the good life is achieved through the satisfaction of desires or preferences, rather than through the attainment of some objective standard of well-being. It focuses on the subjective experience of having one's wants and needs met, rather than on external measures of well-being.
Stoic Eudaimonism: Stoic eudaimonism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the pursuit of eudaimonia, or human flourishing and well-being, as the highest good and the ultimate aim of human existence. It is a central tenet of Stoic ethics, which focuses on cultivating virtue, reason, and self-control as the means to achieving a life of meaning, purpose, and tranquility.
Subjective Well-Being: Subjective well-being refers to an individual's personal evaluation and experience of their own life satisfaction, happiness, and positive emotions. It is a multidimensional construct that encompasses both cognitive and affective components of an individual's overall sense of well-being.
Utilitarianism: Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the view that the morally right course of action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people. It focuses on the consequences of our actions rather than the intentions or the inherent nature of the actions themselves.