The Consortium for Human Flourishing at Saint Louis University is an international and interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and practitioners. The consortium aims to support the mission of SLU by supporting individual and community efforts to improve quality of life and flourishing.
Recent years have brought a growing realization that human flourishing needs far greater attention than it has received in the past. Although there is no agreed-upon definition of human flourishing, there is widespread agreement that there are , such as:
- Mental and physical health
- Happiness and life satisfaction
- Character and virtue
- Meaning and purpose
- Close social relationships
The Consortium for Human Flourishing (CHF) believes there is an art and science to how individuals and communities flourish; left to chance, they may not be able to achieve their potential and flourish. Given the challenges we face in the 21st century, it has become imperative we begin to systematically study and investigate how we can promote individual and community flourishing. CHF uses an interdisciplinary lens to investigate systemic influences and individual conditions that impact and support key elements of human flourishing. Finally, the Consortium intends to leverage its work to demonstrate how the field of education鈥攖he backbone of our society鈥攃an better prepare future generations to flourish in a world that will become increasingly unpredictable.
Mission
The mission of the Consortium is to:
- Investigate how individuals and communities flourish through interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
- Promote practices and programs that help individuals and communities flourish.
Vision
The Consortium envisions a world where:
- Individuals and communities flourish despite various societal challenges.
- Programs and practices are available to promote flourishing for individuals and communities.
Reference: VanderWeele, T.J. (2017, July 13). On Promotion of Human Flourishing. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1702996114.