Buddhist Economics

An enlightened approach to the dismal science

Hardcover, 203 pages

English language

Published Nov. 28, 2017 by Bloomsbury Press.

ISBN:
9781632863669
OCLC Number:
948335673

View on OpenLibrary

5 stars (1 review)

"Traditional economics measures the ways in which we spend our income, but doesn't attribute worth to the crucial human interactions that give our lives meaning. Clair Brown, an economics professor at UC Berkeley and a practicing Buddhist, has developed a holistic model, one based on the notion that quality of life should be measured by more than national income. Brown advocates an approach to organizing the economy that embraces rather than skirts questions of values, sustainability, and equity"--Dust jacket flap.

1 edition

reviewed Buddhist Economics by Clair Brown

Economics and Buddhism made tangible together

5 stars

I've recently tried to correct two mistakes I made in college. The first was in assuming that economics was a) esoteric and b) only for "money people" - business school types, in other words. The second was in failing to pay significant attention in a class I took on Buddhism (my teacher once called me out on the fact that my copy of our class' sole book had clearly never been opened). Clair Brown's "Buddhist Economics" approaches both of these reputedly ineffable subjects with simple, clear, and powerful language.

Simply put: the tenants of Buddhism - the acknowledgement that we are interdependent beings, that much of our suffering is derived from our desire to gain more wealth, more possessions, more status, more experiences - are shown to be relevent when making decisions at a personal and societal level to promote happy, full lives.

Meanwhile, the book stresses that economics is …

Subjects

  • Buddhism
  • Philosophy
  • Economics