Ruut Veenhoven, Erasmus University Rotterdam and University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
in: Jutta Allmendinger (Hrsg.) 'Gute Gesellschaft? Verhandlungen des 30 Kongresses der
Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie', Opladen 2001, Leske + Budrich, pp. 1265-1314
Summary
A good society is first of all a livable society and the livability of a society
manifests in the happiness of its members. Therefore a sociology of the good society
requires an understanding of happiness, in particular answers to the following questions:
1) What is happiness precisely? 2) Can happiness be measured? 3) How happy are people
presently? 4) What causes us to be happy or unhappy? 5) Can happiness be raised lastingly?
Through the ages philosophers have toiled with these questions. Since the 1960's they are
subject of empirical research. This paper takes stock of the progress.