Neoliberalism, happiness and well-being

Citation

Ferguson I (2007) Neoliberalism, happiness and well-being. International Socialism, (117), pp. 87-121. http://www.isj.org.uk/?id=400

Abstract
Visit any high street bookshop chain in Britain and before very long you are likely to encounter one or more stands devoted solely to the subject of happiness and wellbeing. Recent titles range from Happiness: Lessons from a New Science by Richard Layard and The Pursuit of Happiness: a History by Darren McMahon at the more academic end of the spectrum to Positively Happy: Cosmic Ways to Change Your Life by game show host Noel Edmonds at the other.1 Interest in the subject of happiness is, of course, hardly new. As McMahon shows, happiness, and its relationship with other valued goods such as freedom and justice, have been at the heart of philosophical debate for more than 2,000 years. At a less elevated level, what makes individuals happy has long been a subject of endless popular fascination. For Karl Marx, answering a quiz set for him by his daughter, happiness meant simply "to fight", for Albert Einstein, all it required was "a table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin", while for John Lennon, happiness was "a warm gun".

Keywords
Britain; debate; ENCOUNTER; game; Happiness; Heart; HISTORY; HOST; INDIVIDUALS; interest; JUSTICE; lessons; LEVEL; LIFE; Neoliberalism; other; RANGE; relationship; Science; SPECTRA; spectrum; STAND; Well Being; WELL-being

Journal
International Socialism, Issue 117