A framework for human flourishing.
Twelve domains, across three spheres of life and four dimensions of flourishing. The taxonomy connects PAL’s initial projects to the broader conditions of living well.
What do we mean by flourishing?
Flourishing means living well, with real opportunities, agency, relationships and the conditions that sustain them.
It encompasses physical and mental health, life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character, close relationships and material security. Our flourishing is intertwined with our communities, the living world and future generations. Care and reciprocity matter, and living well can include growth through difficulty.
PAL considers flourishing across personal, relational and societal life. People and traditions understand a good life differently. People and communities should retain agency in shaping what flourishing means for them. A credible approach makes these differences visible, respects that agency and examines trade-offs in context.
This is PAL’s working definition, informed by the Positive Alignment paper.
What does flourishing include?
Scroll across to see all four dimensions
| Sphere of life | Material | Intellectual | Emotional | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PersonalOur own lives | Health, Body & Material Security | Mind, Learning & Information | Inner Life & Identity | Contemplation, Meaning & Belief |
| RelationalOur lives with others | Shared Material Life | Discernment & Life Decisions | Love, Conflict & Repair | Shared Practice & Tradition |
| SocietalOur shared world | Earth, Ecology & Common Goods | Knowledge, Technology & Civic Life | Dignity, Solidarity & Healing | Peace, Tradition & Worldview |
The highlighted Emotional dimension is the initial FlourishBench pilot focus. Explore the benchmark method.
Research behind the framework
Research references—not supporters or endorsers of PAL.
Our flourishing framework maps against established research, including Harvard’s flourishing framework and the OECD’s well-being framework. It organises difficult life situations across personal, relational and societal life, with dedicated domains for shared practice and tradition, collective dignity and healing, and peace and worldview.
See the framework in practice.
FlourishBench begins with the Emotional dimension. The separate text dataset is preparing a curation pilot.
Explore the work →