Benthamite Aggregation

The most straightforward approach to wellbeing policy is rooted in Benthamite Utilitarianism. The primary directive under this framework is simple: maximise total national happiness.

Under this ideology, a government succeeds if the National Average Life Satisfaction rises.

The Problem with Averages

While maximising the average efficiently increases total wellbeing, it completely ignores how that wellbeing is distributed.

It is entirely mathematically possible to raise the national average by making the wealthiest citizens significantly happier, while leaving the poorest behind. A pure Benthamite approach can therefore mask real suffering by failing to account for individual variation and inequality.

Side Note: The Easterlin Paradox
Why don't societies necessarily get happier as they get richer? The Easterlin Paradox explores how relative income and shifting reference norms impact our satisfaction over time.

To address this critical oversight in inequality, policymakers must look to alternative frameworks.

Next: The Rawlsian Framework