Gross National Happiness Philosophy Manifested in the Selected Speeches of His Excellency Tshering Tobgay

A nation’s progress has been measured in terms of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) throughout modern history. Suffice it to say that the higher a country’s GDP, the more progressive a country is considered to be. An internationally used measure of a country’s economic activity, GDP has undergone much thought as to its statistical and conceptual bases, but it mainly measures a country’s market production. Clearly, there is a need for a coherent complement to a nation’s GDP. Every nation can benefit from a fresh and transformational approach to defining and measuring their progress and this can be done by considering the country’s Gross National Happiness (GNH). It is a holistic and sustainable developmental approach targeted at achieving a healthy balance between material and non- material values while giving utmost priority to human happiness and well-being. This study is an analysis of Bhutan’s Prime Minister His Excellency Tshering Tobgay’s Gross National Happiness philosophy, highlighting key insights from the selections. Analysis revealed that His Excellency exemplified the core philosophy of Gross National Happiness in true adherence and embodiment of the pillars which constitute the said philosophical concept, and these are in terms of good governance, socio-economic development, cultural preservation and environment sustainability. Likewise, he achieved the efficiency of connecting with his audience and effectively sending his message across by utilizing rhetorical devices such as humor, ethos, logos and pathos. This paper likewise uncovered and discussed important insights which foster values essential to a nation’s well-being and to appreciation of literature as manifested in his discourses, which in themselves can be considered as ample proofs that a nation’s well-being and the appreciation of literature can be secured by advocating the holistic approaches within the philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

Keywords: Bhutan, Good Governance, Gross National Happiness, Tshering Tobgay, Rhetorical Devices