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Is Well-Being Measurable?
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Among the scientists and policymakers, measurability of well-being is now almost uncontroversial—only the individual measures are. Philosopher Daniel Hausman, however, argues that well-being in the proper sense is too person-relative and hence heterogeneous. It is not a quantity that can be measured on the population level. This chapter agrees that there is a sense of well-being—the all-things-considered individual well-being—on which it is likely not measurable but disagrees that therefore well-being is not measurable in any sense. Crucial to measurement is the existence of generalisations between core components of well-being and observable indicators. Such generalisations are available if well-being is predicated of kinds of people, rather than of individual lives. Assuming this focus on well-being of kinds, validity of most existing measures of well-being is secured by the process of construct validation, whose logic relies on a plausible ideal of balancing all evidence.
Title: Is Well-Being Measurable?
Description:
Among the scientists and policymakers, measurability of well-being is now almost uncontroversial—only the individual measures are.
Philosopher Daniel Hausman, however, argues that well-being in the proper sense is too person-relative and hence heterogeneous.
It is not a quantity that can be measured on the population level.
This chapter agrees that there is a sense of well-being—the all-things-considered individual well-being—on which it is likely not measurable but disagrees that therefore well-being is not measurable in any sense.
Crucial to measurement is the existence of generalisations between core components of well-being and observable indicators.
Such generalisations are available if well-being is predicated of kinds of people, rather than of individual lives.
Assuming this focus on well-being of kinds, validity of most existing measures of well-being is secured by the process of construct validation, whose logic relies on a plausible ideal of balancing all evidence.
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