Best news day

You might have thought that a discussion on happiness would be a joyous occasion marked by laughter and high spirits. When politicians, philosophers, scientists, writers and an archbishop gathered in Brittany yesterday for one of the most ambitious attempts in contemporary Western history to define and find a road to happiness, however, there was not a smile in sight.

In France le bonheur is a serious business — so serious that more than 14,500 people have booked to listen to debates on the topic at a two-day forum organised by Rennes City Council and Libération newspaper.

Hundreds sat in silence — some taking notes, others just listening — as Pierre Rosanvallon, an eminent historian, and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the environmentalist, opened proceedings with a talk on Utopia.

“The big problem in our societies is that the spirit of Utopia is diminishing,” said Mr Rosanvallon as Mr Cohn-Bendit nodded earnestly.

The aim of the forum is to bring it back as part of a grandiose design to reshape politics by introducing the notion of happiness into public thought. Gordon Brown and David Cameron may be arguing over taxes and deficits but future French leaders will be focusing on the wider concept of collective wellbeing, if the left-leaning organisers of the event have their way.

They are not so much concerned with individual happiness as with creating a society in which all members have an equal chance of being happy.

Laurent Joffrin, editor of Libération, wrote: “The happiness of Man, an eminently subjective feeling, has become a political question again.” The difficulty of the venture was illustrated in an online survey, which asked internet users to provide a definition of happiness.

More than 3,000 replied — ten times more than the organisers had expected — and a majority confounded Mr Joffrin by talking about the concept in individual rather than social terms.

Few defined happiness as a land of equality and solidarity. Many defined it as a smile from their children or a kiss from their partners. “Happiness is being in harmony with oneself and others,” said one contributor. “It is being content with what you have and not wanting what you don’t have,” said a second. Another put it even more succinctly: “Happiness is love+friends+chocolate+sex+rock’n’roll.”

Jean de Legge, communication director for Rennes Council, said that love was a theme in the answers but was defined differently according to the age of the respondents. “For younger people, happiness tends to be sex but for older generations happiness is being with your family.” Other definitions included eating a fine meal, watching the sun set, going to a concert and seeing Rennes football team win a match.

Back at the forum, happiness was being scrutinised from an altogether different angle. Alain Finkielkraut, the philosopher, debated with Henri Guaino, President Sarkozy’s adviser, whether “politics remains a vector of hope”. Jacques-Alain Miller, a psychoanalyst, discussed with Dominique Amory, the head of Lilly, the drugs group, if pills can make you happy.

Edmond Hervé, a Brittany senator, argued with Pierre d’Ornellas, the Archbishop of Rennes, over the question: “Is happiness a private or public matter?” For Mr Hervé, happiness was having state institutions that functioned efficiently. For Archbishop d’Ornellas, it lay in “finding true love”. Neither mentioned sunsets, football or rock’n’roll.

Joie de vivre

One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy Aristotle

Happiness is a very pretty thing to feel, but very dry to talk about Jeremy Bentham

Happiness? That’s nothing more than health and a poor memory Albert Schweitzer

Happiness (is a warm gun) The Beatles