Soaring in the Best of Times?

How are we to determine whether a society is developing for the better or worse? This question has occupied philosophers and social scientists for centuries and will presumably do so for centuries to come. The authors of this book approach it with the help of a host of observations from social studies in order to try to determine whether Ireland has become not only a richer but also a better society to live in. Here I will discuss some of the issues that are central to attempts to assess the qualitative aspects of the development of a society, then look at the results in the book from this perspective, and end with a few personal reflections.