ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, I have put forward my suggestion of a hedonistic theory of welfare based on the idea of understanding well-being in terms of enjoyment linked to the satisfaction of innate needs and learned wants (Witt 2001). One main aim has been to provide a better psychological and biological underpinning of the concept of well-being by turning to the findings of the other behavioural sciences. But the broader-based empirical foundation provided by these naturalistic insights can also be used to normatively discriminate between different sources of well-being and their respective dynamics. By taking an evolutionary perspective, this second important contribution of the present work is tackled in this chapter.
