Social Justice and the Economics of Happiness: A Critical Taxonomy (Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy)

Addressing challenging questions at the intersection of happiness research and theories of justice, this book explores the extent to which redistribution of material goods can promote the happiness of the recipient and which form of redistribution best serves this purpose: state redistribution in the name of social justice or voluntary redistribution driven by philanthropy. This book is an enquiry into a prominent theory at the intersection of the economics of happiness and the philosophy of justice: material resources that a person has but cannot use to further increase his or her own happiness should be redistributed not only for reasons of social justice but also for reasons of formal justice because they increase the happiness of the taker without diminishing the happiness of the giver.In exploring this theory, the book develops a taxonomy of the various theories of social justice and shows the shortcomings behind the thesis of just happiness.However, the book also shows how the th