Building the Field of Human Flourishing

What we seek to accomplish

Increase the size and diversity of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders who will collaborate to identify clear goals in the field of human flourishing.

Outreach to established and up-and-coming researchers in low and middle income countries.

Communicating the impact of compelling innovations that dramatically increase one or more aspects of flourishing.

Building a burgeoning field

Many of our modern world's biggest challenges – from pandemics to climate change mitigation to modern conflict – can be traced to a crisis of the human spirit. Too often we focus narrowly on how to survive rather than holistically on how to thrive. The study of human flourishing blends science and spirituality to better understand our uniquely human capacities to flourish.

Scientific studies over the past few decades have begun to revolutionize our understanding of human flourishing, moving it from a quaint scholarly niche to the subject of significant scientific importance. Researchers across a range of disciplines have shown it is possible to reliably measure different dimensions of human flourishing. Early pioneers are beginning to translate knowledge of how and why people flourish into practical tools that can be thoroughly tested so we know whether they work, for whom, and under which circumstances.

What is emerging is a new field, encompassing research, practice, and policy across academic and practical specialties. This field is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together dynamic combinations of researchers across the physical, biological, and social sciences with scholars in philosophy, history, art, and theology. The fact that so many different disciplines have approached human flourishing reflects its complexity and universality.

Templeton World Charity Foundation aims to support the growth of this burgeoning field, inclusive of individuals from low- and middle-income countries and those studying flourishing in diverse and under-represented populations, so that together we can discover, develop and launch solutions for all humans to flourish.

Click here to learn more about what human flourishing means, and how research and development in this field be an agent for change.

We aim to speed the translation of interdisciplinary insights about our common humanity into breakthrough innovations that help us flourish together amid modern challenges.

We invite professionals whose work contributes to the creation and sharing of new knowledge and innovations for human flourishing, regardless of discipline. This includes leading scientists, policymakers, practitioners, cultural influences, philanthropists, grassroots advocates, and media from around the world.

We strongly encourage participation from groups traditionally under-represented in the scientific study of human flourishing, including scholars and leaders from lower- and middle-income countries. Learn more at: HumanFlourishing.org

Watch the latest video sessions here.

The field of human flourishing welcomes researchers, funders, policymakers, practitioners and advocates to collaborate and build lasting change across the world.

Watch the video to learn the latest news from the field of human flourishing.