Blissindependence

Blissindependence is a term used in ethics and welfare economics to describe a hypothetical principle whereby an individual's level of bliss (subjective well-being) is independent of the bliss levels of other individuals. Under blissindependence, a person's own happiness is determined solely by their own circumstances and not by changes in others' happiness; consequently, social outcomes could be evaluated without considering interpersonal comparisons or externalities in the bliss space.

Origin and usage: The term Blissindependence is not widely used in mainstream literature and is often presented in thought experiments or speculative writings to explore the boundaries of welfare aggregation. It is sometimes attributed to discussions on separability in utility functions and as a contrasting idea to utilitarian aggregation or affective externalities.

Theoretical framework: In a formal model, blissindependence implies that the utility of person i depends only on bliss_i and not on bliss_j for j ≠ i. This yields a separable social welfare function W = F(bliss_1, bliss_2, ..., bliss_n) that is additive or independent across agents, removing cross-person terms. In decision theory, it resembles an independence axiom for happiness measures.

Implications and critiques: Proponents use blissindependence to examine moral weighting and the role of interpersonal comparisons. Critics argue that happiness is inherently interdependent through social ties, economies, and externalities; ignoring these connections may produce policies misaligned with normative judgments about fairness and social health.

See also: Welfare economics, Utility, Interpersonal comparison of welfare, Externalities, Social welfare function.