L75 JINE 354 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Easterlin Paradox, Population Control, World-Systems Theory

• School: WUSTL
• Department: Jewish, Islamic And Near Eastern Studies
• Course: L75 JINE 354
• Professor: Professor Nakissa

Document Summary

Week 7 (10/26-11/1) liberal modernity, race, and utilitarianism. Easterlin paradox: people have a set of basic needs for food and health, and their happiness is linked to those basic needs. As the economies become stronger and they are more capable of providing these basic needs, happiness increases. However, increasing economic growth past the point of basic needs does not increase further happiness. Over the long-term, happiness does not increase as a country"s income rises. When we look at populations around the world, it appears that human happiness is tied to goods and services and increases to some extent as these goods increase. However, the data indicates that happiness only increases up to a specific level (basic needs for food and shelter and health) Once you hit the minimum, happiness cannot increase. Once you reach a certain economic level, happiness cannot increase past that. Our minds have evolved to recognize things as causing pleasure or pain.