The psychopolitical economy and the economics of happiness: rethinking consumption, income and the environment

Abstract

This article addresses the possible complementarities between the Psychopolitical Economy and the Economics of Happiness to deepen transdisciplinary studies. Both bring together enable elements to a new episteme regarding the treatment of consumption, the concentration of income and the devastation of the environment. This study proposes an unorthodox vision for the relationship of economic agents. The psychopolitical economy aims at creating awareness of subjects in the network concerning the emancipatory quality of mental states authorized to be a reference source for the ability to judge, reestablish communication. This process allows them to build ways of re-harmonizing existence conditions and, thus, making it possible to achieve a higher level of well-being. On the other hand, the economics of happiness studies emphasize the approach of a highly complex and dynamic social reality, where the dualistic way of thinking proves to be poor and incomplete given the existence of infinite shades of color between the ends of the spectrum formed by the facts. The arguments proposed by these two epistemologies offer contributions to a pluralistic methodological reflection that goes beyond the dualist way of thinking.

KEYWORDS: Psychopolitical Theory. Psychopolitical Economics. Economics of Happiness. Consumption. Environment.