In 2004, China's per capita GDP was already $65,438+0,270. Since 1980, China's GDP has increased by 9.3% annually, creating a new economic miracle in East Asia.
Economic achievements have attracted worldwide attention, but the overall human development situation shows a negative trend that is inconsistent with the growth of GDP. In 2003, the economic losses caused by environmental pollution and ecological destruction accounted for 15% of GDP in that year, and the Gini coefficient reflecting the fairness of income distribution exceeded the critical point of social imbalance of 0.4.
According to Professor RuutVeenhoven of Erasmus University in the Netherlands, China's happiness index was investigated three times, and 1990 China's national happiness index was 6.64? 1- 10 scale? , 1995 rose to 7.08? But when it reached 200 1, it dropped to 6.60. The data shows that even sustained and rapid economic growth cannot guarantee the continuous increase of national happiness.
In June 5438+February last year, the Institute of Social Studies of the University of Michigan released the latest survey on happiness index, which showed that the happiness index of East Asian countries was generally lower than that of Western European and American countries, and Singapore, the happiest Asian country, ranked 25th and China ranked 48th. In all kinds of comparative studies on the national happiness level of countries around the world, the happiness index of East Asian countries and regions is always behind.
All this should make us stop and think about some fundamental questions, such as: Why are people unhappy when the economy is growing? What do rich people pursue?
The wealth of this country belongs to folk music.
A noteworthy phenomenon is that at present, the growth rate of per capita property income in China is twice that of labor income (urban wage income and rural operational income). That is to say, while some people are still trying to sell their labor for remuneration, others can already enjoy the benefits brought by property, and the growth rate of the former is far less than that of the latter.
This pattern is generally manifested in the imbalance of "benefit level" between urban and rural areas, between regions and between different classes; Economic and social development is not coordinated enough, and social security and public services are relatively backward; For a long time, the economy has been in extensive growth with high input, high consumption, high emission, uncoordinated, difficult circulation and low efficiency, which is increasingly restricted by resources and energy.
It is against this background that the central authorities timely put forward the idea of "Scientific Outlook on Development", which adheres to the people-oriented principle and realizes all-round, coordinated and sustainable development. "This is an important milestone in the history of the development of the Chinese nation. For the first time, the overall layout of Socialism with Chinese characteristics's cause has expanded from the trinity of economy, politics and culture to the trinity of economy, politics, culture and society. " Academician Cheng of China Academy of Sciences commented.
A survey report released not long ago shows that at present, the government has mastered 87.5% of the total value of social surplus products, leaving only 12.5% to the society. This shows that the past development model is far from "benefiting the well-being of the broad masses of the people". Is national wealth for national music or for "creating our happy life"? The conclusion of the report of the 16th National Congress? . British philosopher Hume said: "The great goal of all human efforts is to obtain happiness." From 65438 to 0999, Gallup conducted the largest public opinion survey in history, with 57000 adults from 60 countries participating. The topic of the survey is: What is the most important thing in life? Therefore, people all over the world think that good health and family happiness are more precious than anything else. The ultimate goal of development should be people's happiness, economic growth is for people's happiness, political good governance is for people's happiness, cultural development is for people's happiness, and social harmony is for people's happiness.
Generally speaking, economic growth can really improve people's happiness, but in recent years, many studies in international academic circles show that the relationship between them is very complicated, and it is by no means a simple "positive correlation" relationship. When the level of economic development is very low, the increase of income can bring some happiness accordingly. However, per capita GDP has reached a certain level? 3,000 to 5,000 dollars? After that, the happiness effect began to decrease. At the same time, academic research proves that people's happiness is influenced by genes, culture, education, environmental protection, human rights protection, work and lifestyle. "Money makes the mare go", but money can't guarantee people's happiness.
"People's happiness is all-round, people's needs are multi-level, and the more wealth there is, the more happiness there may be. With the goal of people's happiness, less resources and environmental sacrifices are needed to make people accept a more scientific and reasonable production and lifestyle, so as to obtain more happiness. " Academician Cheng understands the relationship between wealth and happiness in this way.
This is why the GDP of some countries and regions is increasing, but the people who make money are unhappy and have no spiritual home; What's more, GDP is increasing, but because social equity is not taken into account, the people's pain index is also increasing, which will eventually lead to social unrest. At the same time of economic development, if we do not consider benign growth and coordinated development, we will not only get happiness, but also gain pain.
From GDP to GNH
In February, 2005, Lester Brown, director of the Earth Policy Institute of the United States, reminded that China needs to adjust its development model of unilaterally pursuing rapid economic growth centered on GDP, take the road of people-centered sustainable development, and pursue people's happy lives.
If GDP (gross domestic product) and GNP (gross national product) are standards to measure the wealth of the country and people, then we should also need a standard to measure the happiness of the people. In the international community, this emerging standard is called GNH? Gross national happiness, gross national happiness? .
GNH was first put forward by the King of Bhutan in South Asia. He believes that policies should focus on happiness and aim at achieving happiness. He pointed out that the basic problem in life is how to keep a balance between material life and spiritual life. Under the guidance of this ruling idea, Bhutan creatively put forward the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, which consists of four levels: good government governance, economic growth, cultural development and environmental protection. Pursuing the maximization of GNH is the highest development goal of the Bhutanese government. As a result of practice, in Bhutan, where the per capita GDP is only over 700 dollars, people live a happy life.
When Bhutan put forward GNH in A.D. 1970, it was not noticeable. However, more than 20 years of practice has attracted worldwide attention. Many famous economists in the world turned their eyes to this small South Asian country and began to seriously study the "Bhutan model". World value research institutions in the United States began to study the "happiness index", while Britain established the "National Development Index" (MDP), which comprehensively considered social and environmental costs and natural capital. Japan has also begun to adopt another form of Gross National Happiness (GNC), emphasizing cultural factors. Kalman, the winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics and an American psychology professor, and economists are working together to study the gross national happiness.
At present, the concept of green GDP is becoming more and more popular in China. However, the change of China's development concept can't be satisfied with painting GDP "light green" only on the technical level. We should explore the causes of problems caused by development from the changes of development concepts and lifestyles, advocate innovative changes in human civilization, prevent problems from happening from the development mechanism, and guide people to happiness.
No matter what you pursue, such as wealth and prestige; No matter what mankind pursues, such as peace and freedom; Its ultimate goal is happiness. So is the direction of the country. "Only when people entertain themselves will they entertain themselves." Professor Robert Ryan, former president of the American Institute of Political Science, pointed out that money, wealth, freedom and democracy are only the means to achieve the ultimate goal of happiness.
Mieko Nishui, Vice President of the World Bank for South Asian Affairs, spoke highly of Bhutan's initiative. She said: "Only one country in the world regards material and spiritual wealth as the source of its national economic development policy and has achieved success. This is the kingdom of Bhutan, and the' gross national happiness' eulogized by the state is far more important than the gross national product. "
Accounting national happiness index
"For all of us, creating the highest quality of life must go beyond the' one leaf blind' of economic growth." British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in his report on Britain's sustainable development strategy.
Blair's words are very enlightening to China. The rapid economic growth has not only brought environmental pressure and resource pressure to China, but also brought many social pressures.
During the National People's Congress in 2005, Cheng, an academician of China Academy of Sciences, submitted a proposal entitled "Implementing People-oriented and Accounting National Happiness Index". Academician Cheng believes that as long as people understand that there is no direct connection between happiness and consumption, they can change people's understanding of what really increases or improves happiness, thus creating a sustainable society.
Academician Cheng suggested that China's national happiness accounting index system should be constructed from six aspects: political freedom, economic opportunities, social opportunities, security, cultural values and environmental protection. "Measuring people's happiness is not only to track the changes in happiness, but also to help formulate policies to promote people's happiness." Academician Cheng said.
Epicurus, born and raised in Samos, is a philosopher of happiness philosophy. He said, "happiness is the starting point and goal of a happy life ... if I abandon the happiness in my mouth, the happiness in my sex, the happiness in my entertainment and the gentleness in my eyes, then I can't imagine what is good." He built a philosophy school with the money sponsored by the rich to learn the way of happiness. His "list of happiness needs" includes three things: friendship, freedom and thought.
Various studies show that when the income level is very low, the correlation between income and happiness is closer. Nevertheless, among all the variables that affect personal happiness, the proportion of income determining happiness still does not exceed 2%. In the same country, the proportional relationship between money and happiness will gradually disappear. For example, from 1940 to 1998, the per capita income of the United States has nearly quadrupled, but the proportion of people who feel happy in the total population has remained at around 30% on average, and there is no upward trend; Japan's per capita income has increased more than five times between 1958- 1988, but the average happy population ratio is 59%, and there is no upward trend. Recent research also shows that if a person is too obsessed with the pursuit outside the body? Like fame, wealth, image? And relatively ignore the individual's inner cultivation? Such as self-cultivation, life, communication? Happiness is not easy.
"We need a new concept of wealth and happiness. There must be no equal sign between material wealth and happiness. " Zhang Rulun, a professor of philosophy at Fudan University, gave a counterexample to Xinmin Weekly. "A billionaire who is terminally ill, if you ask him to give all his wealth for a healthy body, he will definitely agree without thinking."
Professor Zhang Rulun believes that happiness is a term related to subjective feelings. In an era when materialism has become people's universal world outlook and values, we need to reform the concepts of wealth and happiness from the ruling thoughts of national government officials to the daily words and deeds of ordinary people. Forbes or Fortune magazine's rich list makes people feel that wealth is synonymous with money, which is actually an absolutely one-sided understanding of wealth. Zhuangzi, who sings with drums and pots, is happy, because he knows that people are expensive. Li Bai, who said that "the son of heaven can't get on the boat", was happy because he didn't want to "spoil his eyebrows and bow down to serve dignitaries, who would never suffer a loss and be exposed with a sincere face". Wittgenstein, a contemporary philosopher, suffered from laryngeal cancer in his later years. On his deathbed, he also asked people waiting around him to tell the world: "What a wonderful life I have." Happiness lies not in the possession of external material, but in a state of mind.
"Happiness is the most difficult and most desired wealth. Any wealth in the world is a means, but happy wealth is the purpose of our life. " Professor Zhang Rulun said.
Academician Cheng said: "I hope that in the near future, the National Happiness Index (GNH) will be as important as GDP, monitoring the country's economic and social operation, understanding people's life satisfaction, and at the same time becoming an integral part of the scientific performance evaluation criteria." Thank you, Academician Cheng, for your strong support to this article. )