The wealth of a society is often measured through economic indicators such as gross domestic product, growth, productivity and levels of consumption. These figures help us understand its economic capacity, but they reveal little about the actual living conditions of its citizens. A society can generate enormous amounts of wealth while leaving part of its population without access to decent housing, adequate education, healthcare or genuine opportunities to develop their own lives. Economic growth is a means, not an objective that can justify the organisation of society in itself.

A society should also be measured by the opportunities it offers people, regardless of their background, abilities or economic position. It is not enough for rights to exist on paper if material conditions prevent people from exercising them. True prosperity means that individuals can make decisions about their own lives, access opportunities and live with dignity without depending on circumstances they have not chosen. The success of a society should not be determined solely by how much it produces or accumulates, but by the real possibilities it offers to those who are part of it.

Strengthen the central argumentMake prosperity more concrete