Asian Gross National Happiness and its View on Law, Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals

This thorough account of wellbeing perspectives from Asian (Buddhist) Gross National Happiness sheds a new light on sustainability debates. It puts into question the universality of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its slogan, “Leave no-one behind,” begs the question of who is behind and who is ahead. Development is caught in the logic of linear “sustainable” growth of nations or centres around the flourishing of the individual instead of the community. "Respect all Sentient Beings" is the Buddhist approach. It centers around inner peace, harmony, generosity and compassion with all life.

With concrete examples of policies, law, jurisprudence and practice from Bhutan, this book is a must read for philosophers willing to think beyond European philosophy, (development) economists interested in reshaping today’s paradigms, innovative lawyers with a compassionate heart, anthropologists who yearn for a dialogue between worldviews of the Global South and science, and all people who seek new meaning in today’s society.