The aim of the present paper is to describe three different attempts, which have been made by philosophers, to define what quality of life is; and to spell out some of the difficulties that faces each definition. One, perfectionism, focuses on the capacities that human beings possess: capacities for friendship, knowledge and creative activity, for instance. Another account, the preference theory, urges that satisfying one’s preferences, or desires, is what improves one’s quality of life. And a third account, hedonism, sees life-quality as consisting in the enjoyment of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. The paper describes and evaluates objections to each of these views, thereby, displaying their weaknesses and strengths.
