Some critics, including the present author,
have had difficulty in viewing the GNH
concept as more than a play on words. This is
because the word ‘gross’ in GNH does not
appear to have any meaning, and certainly
does not have a meaning corresponding to that
in national income accounting.1
Such semantic quibbles have not prevented
the GNH concept from becoming a national
objective in Bhutan. Article 9 of the Constitution
of this new democracy states: ‘The State
shall strive to promote those conditions that
will enable the pursuit of Gross National
Happiness’. The government of Bhutan has
recently initiated efforts to measure GNH. In
addition, GNH is widely discussed internationally.
At least four international conferences
have been held specifically on GNH, attracting
participation by scholars from different
disciplines and different parts of the world.
In preparing this article the author has
viewed the recent evolution of GNH in
Bhutan against the background of literature
relating to the pursuit of happiness as a government
objective and the problems associated
with different approaches to measurement of