Markets, Materialism and the search for meaning

For many, success in life is the acquisition of greater wealth, pleasure and power. As Oscar Wilde famously said, "The god of this generation is wealth. To succeed, one must have wealth!" Yet, in spite of this seemingly universal quest for validation through wealth – and it’s apparent success as we grow wealthier than ever before - the markers of human flourishing seem to continue to go backwards. Why? Instead of living up to its promise as a source of fulfilment, identity and well-being, the never-ending drive to accumulate more has been revealed to be a hedonic treadmill on which people are expected to run faster and faster without getting anywhere. Is there a better way?