ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book begins by citing the dissatisfaction some contemporary philosophers have expressed with regard to current philosophical debates about theories of well-being. Driven in part by the impasse, some philosophers have turned toward integrating philosophy with empirical psychology, with an eye toward providing a more realistic, empirically grounded picture of human flourishing. The Confucian conception of human flourishing, with its strong emphasis on a robust, teleological moral order that can only be achieved within the larger context of one’s family and community, perhaps provides a way of avoiding the kind of modern malaise described by Taylor. The book discusses three key ideas that would emerge from our reflections on well-being: well-being holism, the relationality thesis, and well-being contextualism.
