The interdisciplinary conference on "Public Happiness" will take place in Rome, on June 4-5, 2013.

Public happiness was one of the mottos of the European classic school of political and civil economy, particularly on the Continent. This expression underlined the natural social dimension of human happiness,
and the analysis of the link between economy and welfare as the main subject of the newborn economic science. Currently, happiness studies mainly emphasize individual wellbeing, and its connections with other economic and social variables.

Call for papers

The key social dimension of happiness is no longer at the center of political economy today, as it was in the early days of the discipline. In the present time of crisis we need to focus on the social nature of economic science: analyses of social capital, relational goods, and other social dimensions are an outgrowth of happiness studies, with a special new attention for policy implications, and therefore for the political and social dimensions of well-being. This conference will focus on the social and policy dimensions of happiness, and their connections with empirical, theoretical and historical issues.

Proposals of less than 500 words, focusing on the specific issue of the workshop, should be sent to: [email protected]
Deadline for proposals: March 31, 2013
Reply to proposals: May 1, 2013

Keynote speakers include: Robert Sugden, Bruno Frey, Carol Graham, Serge-Christophe Kolm, Carol Ryff, Alois Stutzer, Nicholas Theocharakis, Ruut Veenhoven and Stefano Zamagni.

Organization and venue

The Conference is organized by LUMSA University, Rome, University of Milan - Bicocca, University of Rome - Tor Vergata, St. Thomas Aquinas University, Rome.

Venue: the St. Thomas Aquinas University, Rome, Largo Angelicum, 1