Can we be Happier?

When I read economics in the 1970s at St Andrews, there was no course on what became welfare economics and has now developed into a whole movement around the happiness and well-being. I read Richard Layard's 2005 book Happiness: Lessons from a New Science and invited him to speak about 10 years ago when the topic was the theme of the Mystics and Scientists conference. Since that time, he has helped initiate a world happiness movement, including publications such as the World Happiness Report, which I have reviewed in these pages, and the Global Happiness and Well-being Policy Report, both of which are starting to put happiness on the global agenda.

This book is effectively Richard's magnum opus and is as such a very important statement, as well as an articulate criticism of the excesses of individualism and consumerism at the expense of community. It is high time to move beyond the limited notions of GDP and economic growth as political drivers that are becoming increasingly unsustainable. The two main parts address the happiness revolution and who can do what, beginning with each one of us and moving onto managers, health professionals, families, communities, economists, politicians and public servants, scientists and technologists. Richard's basic proposition is that we should each, through our choices, aim to produce the greatest happiness we can for others, and the least misery. This view is a more sophisticated expression of utilitarianism as a secular ethic. The three key elements of the happiness revolution are the science of happiness (including positive psychology), the ethics of happiness, and, crucially, mind-training – Richard has been involved in the all Parliamentary group on mindfulness, which produced an important report in 2018. He explains that the happiness principle entails three central ideas of the progress principle (are we progressing in terms of happiness reduction of misery?), the ethical principle of creating as much happiness as we can in the world around us, and the policy principle whereby policymakers 'should choose policies which create the greatest possible happiness.' In my view, an advantage of this approach is that everyone can understand and apply it in their daily lives.

Research across country rankings has shown part six critical factors accounting for 76% of the variance in average happiness: trust, generosity, social support, freedom, health and income. The good news is that there are now many ways of training our thoughts and feelings through new psychological techniques that also give rise to compassion. The second part is full of insight and advice in the various fields referred to above. In education, these include values and moral education – what kind of person do you want to be? (see my Inspiring Purpose site at www.inspiringpurpose.org.uk). A sense of community and belonging is crucial, which includes volunteering, the design of cities and the reintegration of offenders. In economics, we need a new form of cost benefit analysis, 'where benefits are measured in units of happiness.' We also need new policy priorities, especially with the robotic revolution – in this respect, Richard is critical of the idea of universal basic income, which he thinks must be earned, and is optimistic about future levels of employment on the basis of history, noting that skill levels will have to be enhanced. Politics should be 'informed by reason, fuelled by truth and targeted at the greater good', overcoming populism and the politics of division. His conclusion articulate actions for happiness framed within a moral and political philosophy that can bring a better and gentler culture. Essential reading for our time.