Human flourishing refers to a state of comprehensive well-being in which all aspects of life are in a good state. Today, human flourishing is the highest goal of human life, with the hope that people will not just survive but truly thrive and flourish, functioning biologically as well as psychologically, socially, economically, and spiritually.
Dicky Sofjan, Ph.D., a lecturer at the Indonesia Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), explained that there are six domains of well-being: happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose in life, character and virtue, close social relationships, and financial stability. Religious belief also plays an important role in everyday decision-making, thereby influencing the level of well-being.
“Based on this study, Indonesia has the highest level of human flourishing compared with other developed countries. There may also be a connection between religious commitment and human well-being,” he explained during the Public Talk Show titled “Kajian Human Flourishing dari Multi Perspektif” (A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Human Flourishing) on Tuesday (Sept. 29) at the UGM Graduate School Auditorium.
The Global Flourishing Study (GFS) recently ranked Indonesia as having the highest level of human flourishing among 22 countries. The survey results closely reflect many Indonesian respondents’ understanding of the true meaning of life and are influenced by close social relationships.
From an Islamic perspective, Professor Fatimah Husein, a lecturer at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN) Yogyakarta, explained that several Islamic concepts are aligned with human flourishing, including insan kamil (a balance between physical, intellectual, and social aspects, as well as spiritual relationships), hayat thayyibah, maslahah (holistic well-being/dignity), and tazkiyah al-nafs (purification of the soul). A good life in Islam is integrating faith, good deeds, goodness, patience, forgiveness, and the principles of maqasid al-shariah (the protection of religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth).
Meanwhile, Father Albertus Bagus Laksana, a lecturer at Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta, emphasized solidarity with fellow human beings and with the Earth, defining the ideal end state as a blessed life in unity with oneself, others, and the cosmos.
Representing the UGM Human Flourishing Center, Dr. Andreasta Meliala presented UGM’s five pillars of Human Flourishing. The pillars include health and wellbeing, justice and equity for business and society, interreligious and intercultural relations, education across the lifespan, and integral ecology and sustainability. Aim to examine the assumption that financial prosperity is directly proportional to a better quality of life.
“We hope that your contributions will lead to studies that are relevant to the conditions in Yogyakarta,” he said.
Samantha Hauw from Deakin University, Australia, presented well-being from industrial and authenticity perspectives. Although Australia is a prosperous country, well-being is not distributed equally. Indigenous communities continue to experience socioeconomic disadvantages due to colonization and structural inequality.
Meanwhile, the general population faces issues such as loneliness, climate anxiety, and environmental degradation. The non-hierarchical principle is that human health depends on the health of nature. This concept offers liberating freedom; individual autonomy is maintained within a deeply interconnected network of relationships.
Author: Jesi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photographs: SPS Documentation, Magnific