首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
Happiness is fashionable these days. Yet should we accept the common view that the new "science" of happiness has cemented the s
Happiness is fashionable these days. Yet should we accept the common view that the new "science" of happiness has cemented the s
admin
2012-07-06
34
问题
Happiness is fashionable these days. Yet should we accept the common view that the new "science" of happiness has cemented the superiority of Scandinavian social democracy over Anglo-Saxon liberalism? The answer is: No.
Richard Layard of the London School of Economics produced an elegant and influential exposition of the new doctrine two years ago. What is Professor Layard arguing? First, happiness is the sole goal of human activity. Second, happiness is measurable. Third, we know what makes people happy and unhappy. Finally, policy should aim at achieving the greatest happiness.
One can address the broad conclusions of this analysis. Its most important negative conclusion is that, beyond a certain threshold, extra wealth does not make us any happier. In any society, richer people tend to be happier than poorer ones, but the proportion of people saying they are very happy does not seem to rise over time. The explanation for this is partly that relative position matters and partly that we become used to prosperity. The positive conclusion is that we know what does make us happy: good family relationships; a sound financial situation, work, a trustworthy community, freedom from chronic pain and mental illness, and personal liberty.
Consider these points more closely. First, the analysis does do not show that generous welfare states do better than less generous ones. Second, the results do not merely show that a rising gross national product may fail to raise happiness. They also show that increases in the size of the welfare state have also failed to increase reported happiness.
What is under challenge, then, is modernity itself, not a competitive market economy a-lone. Prof Layard makes that clear in his comments on the decline of community and the family and the rise of individualism and crime.
However, Layard’s conclusions are: tame the rat race by taxing excessive effort. He argues that higher income is a route to higher status. But higher status for some is always lower status for others. So this is what economists call an "externality". The externality should be taxed, just like any other form of "pollution".
One answer to that is that effort is already taxed quite heavily in western societies. An-other is that if monetary status is discouraged, people will seek status on other and often more damaging dimensions, power being a particularly dangerous example. Yet another answer is that it is far from obvious why differences in status become increasingly disturbing as income differentials increase. The fact that someone is one’s boss or has a more prestigious position in society is a big enough difference on its own. Finally, is it not evident that the search for status also has positive externalities — innovations of all kinds, for example?
I also see little here to undermine core principles of classical liberalism: people should be largely free to make their own choices, mindful of their obligations to other; and the state should focus on remedying harms, while avoiding adding to them. But governments cannot make us happy. Happiness is something we have to pursue. [506 words]
On which of the following does the author agrees with Professor Layard?
选项
A、Extra wealth beyond a certain threshold does not make us any happier.
B、People nowadays are too used to prosperity to feel happiness.
C、Happiness involves many more factors other than economic status.
D、The government should aim at achieving the greatest happiness.
答案
C
解析
本题考查作者观点。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/co0RFFFM
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
WhatdoNationalSemiconductor,MaxwellHouseCoffee,DeloitteTouche,andHearstMagazineshaveincommon?Alltheseorganizati
Inthefollowingtext,somesentenceshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions41-45,choosethemostsuitableonefromthelist(A、B、C、
WhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTtrueaccordingthepassage?Thecrotchrivetwouldnothavebeenremoved,______.
Youaregoingtoreadatextaboute-mail,followedbyalistofdetailexplanationsorcitedstatements.Choosethebestrelate
Cultureisthesumtotalofallthetraditions,customs,beliefs,andwaysoflifeofagivengroupofhumanbeings.Inthis(1)
MicrosoftcompanyinthesoftwareworldBasedonthepassage,itcanbepredictedthatChandler
Mostofuswouldliketobeboth(1)_____andcreative.WhywasThomasEdisonabletoinventsomanythings?Washesimplymore
Mostofuswouldliketobeboth(1)_____andcreative.WhywasThomasEdisonabletoinventsomanythings?Washesimplymore
Mostofuswouldliketobeboth(1)_____andcreative.WhywasThomasEdisonabletoinventsomanythings?Washesimplymore
Underpressurefromanimalwelfaregroups,twonationalscienceteachersassociationshaveadoptedguidelinesthatbanclassroom
随机试题
《企业安全生产应急管理九条规定》中规定,必须在风险评估的基础上,编制与临近企业相衔接的应急预案。()
房地产开发的资金密集性和较高的资金借贷额,使得房地产开发项目具有较高的资产负债率和流动比率。()
制定托、幼及中小学等规划指标可以依据城市人口的()。
对下列交易或事项进行会计处理时,不应调整年初未分配利润的有()。
下列行为中,房屋发生权属变更但不需缴纳契税的是()。
王某潜入某工厂仓库盗窃,将仓库货物(价值2万元)扔到院墙外,准备一会儿翻墙出去再捡,偶尔经过此处的刘某发现该货物无人看管,遂将其拿走,据为已有。10分钟后,王某来到院墙外,发现货物已无踪影。对于王某、刘某行为定性,下列哪一选项是正确的?
以下古代文件起到限制王权作用的是()
甲公司有300立方米的木材要加工成家具,乙公司与丙公司一起找到甲公司,三方签订了合同,合同约定,乙公司与丙公司将300立方米的木材加工成家具,合同履行期为50天,价款为60万元。乙公司与丙公司也签订了一份合同,约定乙公司负责加工200立方米,丙公司负责加工
第三方评估
则y’=________.
最新回复
(
0
)