Economies of Value Orders

See also: Neotraditional Economics

Description

Janos Mate:

"NEO-TRADITIONAL ECONOMICS could indeed be a describing phrase for the special field I have chosen. However, the term I use is ECONOMIES OF VALUE ORDERS. That indicates my opinion that the impact of value orders on the quality of co-operation among (business) people is decisive the world over.

I try to avoid the term NEO-TRADITIONAL ECONOMICS, for the ECONOMIES OF VALUE ORDERS is not about some “ideal” way of organizing economy. Instead, it is based – as far as I am concerned – on the comparison of such decisive impacts. The very theory of ECONOMIES OF VALUE ORDERS focuses on the role of (spiritual, moral etc.) values, and makes it obvious that the present course of world economy has had its impetus from a disharmony among the main estates; some elements of society quickly and willingly abandoned the traditional ethics, while the rest of the society gave it up gradually and painfully. As soon as the values of traditional ethics virtually disappear from a country, her society shall exhibit ever growing social unrests and economic unbalances. That gives way to the rise of those countries in which the pull-down of those values is not yet been (fully) brought about.

Therefore, the ECONOMIES OF VALUE ORDERS is not a bit of applied economics. Rather, it is some basic information on how to interpret the daily and yearly development of world politics and economy. I feel sure that some Buddhist values could help western theoreticians realize what substantial changes should be adopted. That is why I am in favor of our work, even though I realize the difficulties. The first and the second conference on Buddhist Economics have provided some good ground to build on.

With the problem so highlighted, the next step would be to unfold the theory."