Happiness, Politics and the Co-operative Principles

Mark Kaswan

How are co-operatives different from traditional capitalist enterprises? Are these differences more than superficial, and is there any deeper, political significance to them? I argue that what makes co-operatives different is their basis in an ideology that emphasises social institutions, which stands in stark contrast to the individualism implicit in capitalism. The case for co-operatives on the basis of this ideology was perhaps best articulated in the 1820s by William Thompson, one of the leaders of the co-operative movement. Thompson’s theory is contrasted with that of Jeremy Bentham, from whom Thompson takes many central concepts - although he takes them in a very different direction. Bentham’s and Thompson’s theories diverge because of their different understandings about what constitutes happiness and “the greatest happiness of the greatest number”. Bentham equates happiness with pleasure, an individualistic concept, while Thompson argues that it happiness is best understood as well-being, which is much more of a social condition. This difference leads the two to very different conclusions about the underlying principles of social institutions. Ultimately, it is shown how Thompson’s theory can be understood as providing an ideological foundation for the co-operatives as defined by the International Co-operative Alliance, which raises some questions and poses some challenges for co-operatives today.