La Buona vita: materiali per una ricerca

The aim of this research is to investigate the presence – or perhaps the absence – of good life and happiness in the contemporary Western society. It focuses on the anthropological side of the issue, though taking into account contributions from sociology, philosophy, psychology and psychoanalysis. Few aspects of the current human condition are explored: the pursue of happiness, the experience of a sense of inadequateness in living, the social forms of depression and, finally, the possibility of achieving a good life at a personal and a collective level. The research leads to criticism of the current ways of living. Moreover, it envisions the need for a radical change in the contemporary living towards a more complete human emancipation, arguing that Western societies, dominated by profit-driven practices, don’t value life itself hence they generate unhappiness and inhumanity.