From Individual Happiness to Relational Citizenship: A Buddhist Perspective on Interdependence and Collective Well-Being
Innovative Research Journal of Sociology and Humanities June 1, 2026 Tran Quoc Hung
This article analyzes a shift in Buddhist philosophy and ethics from self-centered happiness to what the author calls "relational citizenship." Drawing on teachings such as dependent origination, non-self, compassion, loving-kindness, and the Bodhisattva ideal, it argues that genuine well-being is not a solitary psychological state but a relational way of being expressed through interconnectedness, relational care, and shared ethical participation. By integrating traditional Buddhist teachings with positive psychology and engaged Buddhism, the author recasts collective accountability, social justice, and earth compassion as a praxis of "relational citizenship." The article proposes that Buddhism offers a philosophically integrated and scientifically informed alternative to liberal individualism, significant in an era of social disintegration and environmental disaster.