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Staatliche Glücksförderung? Karl Popper, Richard Layard und das Rauchen / Should public policy pursue happiness? Karl Popper, Richard Layard and smoking

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  • Bünger Björn
  • Prinz Aloys

Abstract

Even some economists supported recently the suggestion that happiness should become a major goal of public policy. The reason is that empirical research on happiness revealed several substantial flaws in people’s private pursuit of happiness. To shed some light on the question whether public policy should enhance citizen’s happiness, the opposing positions of Karl Popper and Richard Layard are presented first. After this, governmental paternalistic interventions to support or to suppress individual preferences are analyzed more thoroughly by considering the theory of internalities. This theory explains why individuals fail to pursuit happiness. As a case in point, smoking is examined as a potential source of illness and unhappiness. Supposing that smoking is harmful, it is analyzed whether public interventions to suppress smoking can be justified according to Karl Popper and the internalities theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Bünger Björn & Prinz Aloys, 2010. "Staatliche Glücksförderung? Karl Popper, Richard Layard und das Rauchen / Should public policy pursue happiness? Karl Popper, Richard Layard and smoking," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 61(1), pages 169-190, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:ordojb:v:61:y:2010:i:1:p:169-190:n:12
    DOI: 10.1515/ordo-2010-0112
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