A Theory of Subjective Wellbeing

The study of 'subjective wellbeing' has seen explosive growth in recent decades, opening important new discourses in personality and social psychology, happiness economics, and moral philosophy. Now it is moving into the policy domain. In this it has arguably overstepped its limits. The shallow theoretical base of subjective wellbeing research, the limitations of its measurement instruments, and its ethical naivety makes policymaking on the basis of its findings a risky venture. The present...