The essay reviews the changing relationship between economic conditions and the ideas of happiness over the long period, from hunter-gatherers to the present age. It argues that cultural aspects, in their interplay with social conditions and institutions, are crucial for understanding the rise of the modern world, and it proposes an interpretative schema within which to explain the origins of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. On this basis, the article calls for closer integration between economics and economic history, on the one hand, and psychology, ethics and politics on the other: it is vital to gain better understanding not only of the past but also of our times, given the widening gap between technological progress and ethics.

Broadening the scope of economic history: how happiness has changed over the long period and its relationship with economics

Emanuele Felice
2019-01-01

Abstract

The essay reviews the changing relationship between economic conditions and the ideas of happiness over the long period, from hunter-gatherers to the present age. It argues that cultural aspects, in their interplay with social conditions and institutions, are crucial for understanding the rise of the modern world, and it proposes an interpretative schema within which to explain the origins of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. On this basis, the article calls for closer integration between economics and economic history, on the one hand, and psychology, ethics and politics on the other: it is vital to gain better understanding not only of the past but also of our times, given the widening gap between technological progress and ethics.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2019_Annali Fondazione Einaudi_-2-011-felice.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: PDF editoriale
Dimensione 107.2 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
107.2 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11564/716824
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact