Introduction
This article analyzes Jonathan Haidt's concept of happiness, who views it as a relational "between" – the result of connections with people, work, and transcendence. In the age of AI, this idea is put to the test as technology begins to simulate authentic relationships. We will explore how to distinguish true happiness from its digital illusion, drawing on the wisdom of psychology, philosophy, and major religions to understand what constitutes a good life in the age of algorithms.
Haidt's Hypothesis: Rituals Build Happiness
Jonathan Haidt argues that happiness is not a state, but rather emerges "between" – in relationships with others, with work, and with something larger than ourselves. Rituals, both secular and religious, play a crucial role here. They act as a school for emotions, training our intuitive nature (the elephant) and building lasting bonds. How we understand happiness also depends on language. Western words like happiness or Glück connect it with chance, while Eastern terms, such as the Japanese ikigai, point to inner harmony.
Great religious traditions, from Buddhism (liberation from suffering dukkha) and Christianity (the gift of grace beatitudo) to Islam (harmony with the divine order sa‘āda), consistently teach that true happiness requires the relinquishment of ego and the incessant pursuit of sensations. It is this relinquishment, not accumulation, that opens the path to deeper fulfillment.
AI: False 'Between' Threatens Relationships and Work
Contemporary psychology confirms that well-being rests on pillars such as autonomy, competence, and relationships. New technologies strike at these foundations. Artificial intelligence goes a step further, creating a "false between" – a simulation of connection without risk or commitment. Chatbots offer the illusion of closeness, while the automation of creative tasks threatens to strip work of its meaning and the satisfaction derived from a state of flow.
Furthermore, AI is beginning to assume the role of a new sacrum. Its omnipresence, power, and incomprehensibility evoke fear and awe, much like religious phenomena. This threatens technological idolatry, where admiration for the algorithm replaces authentic transcendent experience, reducing humans to a function within a machine ecosystem.
Institutions: Designing Happiness in Politics and Education
The achievement of happiness is hindered by contemporary "idolatries." Consumption drives a hedonistic treadmill, promising fulfillment that never arrives. Social media replaces deep connections with superficial interactions, leading to paradoxical loneliness in a hyper-connected world. However, happiness is not solely an individual matter. It is co-created by institutions.
Social policies that reduce inequality, education that shapes character and empathy, and urban planning that designs communal spaces can create conditions for authentic well-being. These institutions become tools for "designing happiness," fostering genuine relationships instead of simulating them through algorithms.
Conclusion
Haidt's hypothesis is a powerful synthesis of wisdom from philosophy, religion, and psychology. It reminds us that happiness requires coherence between reason and emotion, as well as authentic connections. In the age of AGI, we face a fundamental choice: whether to use technology to strengthen true relationships or allow it to replace them with a perfect, yet empty, simulation. In the labyrinth of algorithms, it's easy to forget that happiness lies not in the illusion of control, but in the unpredictable dance of authentic "between."
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