well-being economics – from slogan to discipline?; comment on “can a well-being economy save us?”

This commentary addresses ronald labonté’s recent editorial, “can a well-being economy save us?” it considers how to assess whether well-being economy policy proposals are likely to achieve real change, or simply represent performative sloganeering. it considers labonté’s discussion of the congruence between the well-being economy and widely held, cross-cultural values. finally it explores the relationship between “well-being economics” and the key heterodox economic disciplines it has sprung from, especially ecological and feminist economics; and explores the relationship of well-being economics with degrowth and post-growth economics as policy goals and models, rather than disciplines. ultimately, a well-being economy can only “save us” if it is fully guided by and constrained within the same hard ecological constraints that must also guide degrowth or post-growth policy prescriptions.