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Article: Who Says Money Cannot Buy Happiness?
- Article from:
- The Independent Review
- Article date:
- January 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Independent Institute Winter 2006. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Economists have discovered, or so they think, that money doesn't buy happiness. This idea, however, is hardly a new discovery, even for economists. Adam Smith discussed people's limited ability to achieve happiness by acquiring material wealth in his 1759 book The Theory of Moral Sentiments. The real discovery by some economists and other social scientists in recent years is that the moneydoesn't-buy-happiness claim can be used to justify higher taxes and more government spending.
Although most people have long expressed agreement with the proposition that obtaining more money doesn't lead to more happiness, that admission has had no noticeable effect on their behavior. Economists recently ...