ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how society should be changed to best promote human happiness. Since humans feel greatest joy when interacting prosocially with others, the question arises as to the evolution of prosociality and its connection to happiness. The chapter describes how the special mammalian capacity to nurture offspring is reinforced by pleasurable emotions in both parent and child. It then argues that the desire to nurture widened in evolution, so that humans can, and do, feel happiness when nurturing and being nurtured even by those who are not parents—thus connecting prosocial behavior and happiness. The chapter next shows that hierarchy, seemingly so common among humans, has an older evolutionary history than prosociality. Further, dominance hierarchies are linked to anger, fear, and distress/sadness, all negative emotions. Based on the different evolutionary origins of hierarchy and prosociality, and the emotions to which they are connected, the chapter puts forth the following major claim: Hierarchy does not contribute to happiness. In fact it crowds out happiness, even for those on top of the pecking order. Thus, society must eliminate hierarchy in order to best foster human happiness. The chapter uses research from the social sciences to argue for the feasibility of ending human hierarchy and concludes with a proposal for a new, egalitarian Utopia.
