The elements of well-being

Journal article

This essay contends that the constitutive elements of well-being are plural, partly objective, and separable. The essay argues that these elements are pleasure, friendship, significant achievement, important knowledge, and autonomy, but not either the appreciation of beauty or the living of a morally good life. The essay goes on to attack the view that elements of well-being must be combined in order for well-being to be enhanced. The final section argues against the view that, because anything important to say about well-being could be reduced to assertions about these separable elements, the concept of well-being or personal good is ultimately unimportant.

Authors: Hooker, B

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
• Journal: Journal of Practical Ethics
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 15-35
• Acceptance date: 2015-06-01
• EISSN: 2051-655X
• ISSN: 2051-655X
• Language: English