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초록
This paper aims to investigate the possibility of modeling “Buddhist Economics,“ by considering a Buddhist's view on economic problems. In traditional economics, especially in mainstream Neoclassical economics, human desires are treated as value-free. In Buddhism, however, human desires are recognized as two different kinds of desire: tanha, the desire for pleasure and chanda, the desire for true well-being. Tanha is based on ignorance, while chanda is based on wisdom. Both of these lead to satisfaction of human desire but in different ways. People who are driven by tanha seek to satisfy the blind craving for sensual pleasure, but when driven by chanda, desires are directed to attainment of true well-being. If we perceive human desires in this way, it may be possible to build Buddhist Economics, which may have a different shape from traditional Neoclassical economics. In traditional economics, the objective of economic activities is assumed to be to maximize utility or satisfaction, which can be achieved through the expansion of production and consumption. All economic activities and policies are, therefore, directed towards economic growth and development. In a Buddhist's view, however, where human desires are not recognized as value-free, the ultimate goal of economic activities cannot be just satisfaction of material want. It must indeed be the attainment of human well-being based on true value, which can be achieved not by expansion of production and consumption but only by efforts exerted to eliminate tanha.