Understanding Human Flourishing

• Flourishing is defined as the state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being where people thrive
• Flourishing includes fulfillment of basic needs, pursuit of personal growth, and the ability to contribute to society
• Flourishing can be examined through progress and development

Human Flourishing

• Derives from the Greek word "Eudaimonia," used by Aristotle
• Is an effort to achieve self-actualization and fulfillment within a larger community
• It can be described as the ability to live a good life

Principles of Human Flourishing

• Dignity of the human person: Personal rights demand respect
• Common good: Involves sacrificing self-interest to provide for others
• Preferential option for the poor: Decisions prioritize the consideration of the poor
• Subsidiary: All those affected by a decision are involved in making it
• Universal purpose of goods: Earth's resources should serve every person's needs
• Stewardship of creation: There is a duty to care for the Earth
• Promotion of peace: Involves respect and collaboration in personal relationships
• Participation: It is a right and duty to take part in society
• Global solidarity: Requires recognition that all people are interconnected

Determining Progress

• Economic development: Includes income and job opportunities
• Social Progress: Incorporates education and healthcare
• Technological Advancements: Includes connectivity and efficiency
• Environmental Sustainability: Includes quality of life and connection with nature

Key Indicators

• Health and life expectancy
• Education levels
• Income and economic stability
• Social relationships and support networks
• Subjective well-being and happiness
• There is no single measure, but a combination of factors

Promoting Flourishing

• Government policies and investments in education, healthcare, social welfare, and sustainable development
• Community empowerment through engaging communities, fostering social cohesion, and empowering individuals to actively participate in decision-making
• Technology enhances human flourishing by enhancing access to information, improving communication/connectivity, and automation leading to possible job displacement

Jason Edward Hickel

• An economic anthropologist and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona
• His research opposes capitalism, neocolonialism, and economic growth as measures of human development

Hickel's Critique

• He notes that the gap in growth and development between rich and poor countries continues to widen
• He criticizes the failure of growth and development efforts to eradicate poverty
• He advocates a nonconformist perspective toward growth and development

Article Content

• Introduces "de-development" to challenge prevailing notions of progress and economic growth
• Traditional development strategies rely on economic indicators like GDP
• Growth exploitation of natural resources and labor, often leading to poverty
• Sustainable Development Goals (2015): Heads of state gathered in New York to sign the SDG
• SDG aims to eradicate poverty by using growth strategies

Development

• Growth has been the primary goal of development for 70 years, but may not be working
• From 1980, the global economy grew 380%, but the number of people living in poverty increased by 1.1 billion
• Orthodox economists insist more growth is needed in developed countries
• Progressive economists advocate shifting growth to the poorer sectors of society

Hickel's View on Growth

• Neither approach is adequate because we are overshooting our planet's biocapacity by more than 50% each year
• Growth is no longer a viable option
• There is a global crisis is due to overconsumption in rich countries
• Inflation, food insecurity, soaring energy and food prices, supply chain disruptions and mounting debt

Resource Consumption

• The planet only has enough resources for each person to consume 1.8 global hectares annually
• Ghana consumes 1.8 global hectares per person
• Guatemala consumes 1.8 global hectares per person
• Europe consumes 4.7 global hectares per person
• Canada consumes 8.0 global hectares per person
• The USA consumes 8.0 global hectares per person

Peter Edwards

• Argues that instead of pushing poor countries to "catch up", we should focus on rich countries 'catching down' to appropriate levels of development
• Suggests examining societies where people live long and happy lives with relatively low income and consumption, considering them exemplars of efficient living

Wealth and Happiness

• The US has a GDP per capita of $53,000 and a life expectancy of 79 years, consuming 8.0 global hectares
• Cuba has a GDP per capita of $6,000 and a life expectancy of 79 years, consuming 1.9 hectares
• Low to middle-income countries often rank highly in happiness/well-being, near the threshold of ecological sustainability
• Costa Rica has a high happiness indicator(1/4 of the per capita income of the US)

De-Developing

• Rich countries should be considered not underdeveloped, but appropriately developed and made to justify their excesses
• De-developing is a rallying cry in the Global South, but has not reached Westerners

Consumerism

• According to consumer research, 70% of people in middle-and high-income countries believe overconsumption puts our planet and society at risk
• A similar majority feels that striving to buy and own less would not compromise happiness

Challenges in Acceptance

• There is difficulty because the language of "de-growth, zero-growth, de-development" is technically accurate but unappealing
• Progress is needed in the right direction
• A need to reorient ourselves toward a positive future and a truer form of progress
• Quality should come instead of quantity
• Quality and GDP is not leading societies to this

Alternative Visions

• Latin Americans have visions on the indigenous concept of "buen vivir" or good living
• Community-centric, ecologically balanced, and culturally sensitive ways of doing things are needed
• Book: Rober and Edward Skidelsky book "How Much is Enough?"
• Interventions: Banning advertising, shorter work weeks, and basic income can improve lives while reducing consumption

Listening to Nature

• Societies must slow down voluntarily, or nature will force us to do it through climate change
• Development should be more than an ecological imperative
• Shift away from growth-centric models towards those emphasizing sustainability, equity, and local agency

Highlights of De-Development

• Hickel uses it to describe how wealthy countries can reduce consumption and production to achieve more economic and environmental sustainability
• Overconsumption in rich countries drives global inequality and ecological collapse
• Reducing consumption/production would redistribute resources more fairly and reduce environmental degradation
• De-development is about creating a more equitable and sustainable global economy

Sustainable Development Goals

• Also known as the Global Goals
• Adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity by 2030

Universality

• Integration
• Transformation

Poverty

• Occurs when a person or group lacks essential resources for a minimum standard of living
• Involves the lack of Material and Social Resources

Kinds of Poverty

• Absolute: Household income is below a level that makes it impossible to meet basic life needs (food, shelter, water, education, healthcare)
• Relative: Households receive 50% less than average household incomes so have some money but not enough to afford anything above the basics, measuring income inequality

Causes of Poverty

• Industrial revolution, increasing the cost of living
• Overpopulation from lack of birth control methods
• Corruption weakening the rule of law
• Lack of work opportunities leading to brain drain
• Poor health/education, affecting productivity in the community
• War and political instability

Sustainable Development Goals

• A set of 17 goals for the world's future, through 2030
• Negotiated over 2 years and agreed to by nearly all the world's nations on Sept 25, 2015
• A call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure health, justice and prosperity