Welwezen

Welwezen is a Dutch term used to describe the state of well-being, flourishing and prosperity of individuals or communities. It encompasses physical health, mental well-being, secure livelihoods, social connections, and meaning in life.

The word is formed from wel (“well”) and wezen (“being” or “essence”). Historically it appears in religious and moral discourse, but in contemporary usage it overlaps with concepts such as welvaart (prosperity) and welzijn (well-being). In modern contexts, welwezen is often employed as a broader notion of overall quality of life.

Welwezen includes both material and non-material dimensions. Material conditions such as income, housing, health care and safety interact with non-material aspects like health, education, autonomy, social cohesion, purpose and psychological well-being. The concept is thus used to discuss not only economic outcomes but also the conditions that allow people to live meaningful and satisfying lives.

In philosophy, welwezen can be linked to the idea of human flourishing, comparable to concepts like eudaimonia. In policy and social science, it is used to assess quality of life and to justify public interventions aimed at improving well-being rather than focusing solely on economic growth. The term often serves as a bridge between moral, social and economic considerations in public discourse.

Measuring welwezen is challenging because it blends subjective experiences with objective indicators. Critics caution against cultural bias in defining a good life and warn against over-reliance on simplified metrics. See also welvaart, welzijn, quality of life, eudaimonia, subjective well-being, welfare state.