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Freedom-types and life satisfaction: empirical Evidence on the Role of Individual and Civic-Oriented Values
This paper examines the relationship between four freedom orientations—libertarian, utilitarian,
civic-oriented, and communitarian—and subjective well-being. We conceptualize liberty orientations
as varying in their prioritization of individual autonomy relative to the general interest referring to
political philosophers. Using nationally representative survey data, we estimate a recursive
generalized structural equation model (GSEM) with instrumental variables to address potential
endogeneity between liberty orientations and well-being. Falsification tests confirm the validity of
our instruments. The results indicate that civic oriented and communitarian orientations are positively
and significantly associated with higher levels of life satisfaction compared to libertarian and
utilitarian orientations. These findings suggest that value systems emphasizing voluntary alignment
with, or prioritization of, the general interest foster higher well-being, consistent with research strands
highlighting the importance of social relationships, generativity, and collective purpose discussed in
our paper. Our contribution is both theoretical, by refining the typology of liberty orientations, and
empirical, by providing causal evidence of their effects on subjective well-being.
Lorenzo Semplici
Leonardo Becchetti, Demetrio M. Bova
Year of publication 2025