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Papers

Transforming Sustainability Science to Generate Positive Social and Environmental Change Globally

    Paul Shrivastava, Mark Stafford Smith, Karen O’Brien, and Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Transforming Sustainability Science to Generate Positive Social and Environmental Change Globally.’ One Earth, 2020, vol.2, no. 4 Despite the decades-long efforts of sustainability science and related policy and action programs, humanity has not gotten closer to global sustainability. With its focus on the natural sciences, sustainability science is not able to contribute sufficiently to the global transition to sustainability. This Perspective argues for transforming sustainability science into a… Read More »Transforming Sustainability Science to Generate Positive Social and Environmental Change Globally

    Buddhist economics – an enlightened approach to the dismal science

      Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Buddhist economics – an enlightened approach to the dismal science.’ Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 2019, vol.16, no. 2, pp. 231-233 Clair Brown is a well-established economics professor at UC Berkeley. Her new book provides a fresh, new insight into the field of Buddhist economics. What is the real novelty of Clair Brown’s book is that it connects Buddhist economic thought with the latest results of Western economics and presents a coherent and robust vision… Read More »Buddhist economics – an enlightened approach to the dismal science

      Why Do We Need Contemplative Aproaches in Economics and Management?

        Laszlo Zsolnai, Gabor Kovacs, & Andras Ocsai ‘Why Do We Need Contemplative Aproaches in Economics and Management?’ Society and Economy, 2018, vol.40, no. 4, pp. 493-496 Contemplative traditions (including meditation) are one of the oldest traditions of humanity. It has been present in all major religions in one way or another.  Meditation is at the heart of contemplative traditions. It can be defined in various ways. Walsh and Shapiro (2006, 228-229) state that mediation refers to “a family of self-regulation… Read More »Why Do We Need Contemplative Aproaches in Economics and Management?

        Buddhist Economics – An Overview

          Clair Brown, & Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Buddhist Economics – An Overview.’ Society and Economy, 2018, vol.40, no. 4, pp. 497-513 Over the centuries, Buddhist monks applied economic models in the operations of their monasteries to make them sustainable while also observing Buddhist principles. The large variety of economic practices observed demonstrate the creativity of monastics in acquiring the resources to support their large monasteries in a way that was viewed as compatible with Buddhist ethics embodied in the Noble… Read More »Buddhist Economics – An Overview

          Economic Actors and the Ultimate Goal of the Economy

            Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Economic Actors and the Ultimate Goal of the Economy.’ , in Economic Objects and the Objects of Economics, eds. Peter Rona, and Laszlo Zsolnai, Springer, 2018. (This book may be available at: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319945286) Mainstream economics employs a rather simplified picture of economic systems. Economic actors are grouped into three categories, namely individuals/households, firms, and the state. Among these actors only monetized transactions are considered. The ultimate goal of the economy is defined as maximization of individual income… Read More »Economic Actors and the Ultimate Goal of the Economy

            Issues and Themes in Moral Economics

              Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Issues and Themes in Moral Economics.’ , in Economics as a Moral Science, eds. Peter Rona, and Laszlo Zsolnai, Springer, 2017. (This book may be available at: Springer) This paper summarizes the main issues and themes in the development of moral economics. Zamagni suggests that we can harness market interactions by re-defining the market in a non-individualistic way, as a network of mutually beneficial relations, along the lines suggested by the civil economy paradigm. Bouckaert underlines that… Read More »Issues and Themes in Moral Economics

              Economic Rationality versus Human Reason

                Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Economic Rationality versus Human Reason .’ , in Economics as a Moral Science, eds. Peter Rona, and Laszlo Zsolnai, Springer, 2017. (This book may be available at: Springer) First the paper analyses the rationality assumptions of mainstream economics and shows that they are empirically misleading and normatively inadequate. It argues that the world ruled by self-interest based rationality of economic actors leads to ’unreason’ from a wider ecological and human perspective. The paper illuminates that human reason… Read More »Economic Rationality versus Human Reason

                Buddhism and Economic Development

                  Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Buddhism and Economic Development.’ , in Teaching Buddhism, eds. Todd Lewis, and Gary DeAngelis, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2016. Buddhist Economics is not the same as Economics of Buddhism. The former is a modern discourse that utilizes elements of Buddhist thought to construct an alternative model of the economy and the latter is a study of how Buddhists organize their econimic life in real-world social settings, past or present. Buddhist Economics is essentially a normative enterprise… Read More »Buddhism and Economic Development

                  Agenda for Future Research and Action

                    Peter Rona, & Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Agenda for Future Research and Action.’ , in Economics as a Moral Science, eds. Peter Rona, and Laszlo Zsolnai, Springer, 2017. (This book may be available at: Springer) This paper is about the restoration of economics as a moral science. It is argued that economics, unlike the natural sciences, does not have an ontologically objective subject, because economic life, unlike matter, is the product of human intentionality. Economic phenomena are always necessarily incommensurate because… Read More »Agenda for Future Research and Action

                    Redefining the Roles and Duties of Management

                      Laszlo Zsolnai, Sven Junghagen, and Antonio Tencati ‘Redefining the Roles and Duties of Management.’ Journal of Global Responsibility , 2012, vol.3, no. 1, pp. 121-133 The paper analyses the crisis of the business profession and the role that management education can play in renewing business management. It is argued that unless future managers demonstrate that they serve the common good in their daily practice, the legitimacy and moral standing of the business profession remain questionable. The paper presents the… Read More »Redefining the Roles and Duties of Management