佛教經濟學: 理論基礎與架構
周賓凰
本文從佛教教理的觀點, 結合傳統個體經濟學的分析架構, 探討經濟學應有的面貌。從最根本的基本假設上, 佛教與傳統經濟學就截然不同: 後者以滿足自身之欲望為主要出發點, 前者則認為欲望出於無明, 是妨礙自在解脫的主因。 基於基本假設上的不同, 佛教經濟學與傳統經濟學在許多議題上觀點也存在極大的差異, 包括競爭、消費、工作, 乃至生產、分工與就業等等。 這些都是本文探討的重點。
關鍵字: 佛教經濟學、欲望、個體基礎
Buddhist Economics: Theoretical Foundation and Framework
Pin Huang Chou
This paper proposes a framework and an analysis for buddhist economics. Buddhist economics differs from its mainstream counterpart in their very assumption on desires. While both agree that desires can never be fully satisfied, the latter still aims at maximizing satisfaction for desires. The buddhism, in sharp contrast, views desires as being rooted in ignorance, which should be minimized or even eliminated. As such, buddhist economics holds almost totally opposite views on many economic concepts, ranging from the basic assumption of rationality to the objective of individuals, to even production, competition, and employment, among others.