Abstract

Well-being is at least one of the things it is legitimate for the law to aim at. If a law would lead to a substantial improvement in well-being, and would not be overly detrimental to other things we value like equality or justice, then most would agree that passing the law would be permissible—even desirable. But what relationship, more precisely, does law bear to well-being? How does law aim at advancing well-being? And how should it? These questions are the focus of this chapter.