from Susan Witt
E. F. Schumacher Society
www.smallisbeautiful.org
 

Dear Mr. Harvey

In his now classic essay "Buddhist Economics," Fritz Schumacher imagines an
economic system informed by the teachings of the Buddha.  Key to such a
system is simplicity and non-violence.

". . . the Buddhist economist would insist that a population basing its
economic life on non-renewable fuels is living parasitically, on capital
instead of income.  Such a way of life could have no permanence and could
therefore be justified only as a purely temporary expedient.  As the world's
resource of non-renewable fuels--coal, oil, and natural gas--are exceedingly
unevenly distributed over the globe and undoubtedly limited in quantity, it
is clear that their exploitation at an ever-increasing rate is an act of
violence against nature which must almost inevitably lead to violence
between men."  

From a Buddhist perspective, Schumacher argues, the most rational form of
production is from local resources for local needs.  Work is not something
to avoid but "blesses those who do it"  when conducted in conditions of
human dignity and freedom, so favoring a system of full employment.

 

The most important aspect of Schumacher's esssay is the simple reminder that
our economic systems should reflect our highest aspirations as a
culture--whether we find the source of those aspirations in religion,
philosophy, our communion with nature, or our sympathy with others.
Schumacher, the economist, demonstrates how to transform the material laws
of economics through actions infused by principles.

Schumacher did not limit his exploration of a value-based economics to
Buddhist thinking.  His daughter and biographer, Barbara Wood, tells us that
before his death her father was preparing an essay on "Islamic Economics."

Values, we find, are not only the product of religion.  Jane Jacobs in her
1983 Schumacher Lecture "The Economy of Regions" and her book Cities and the
Wealth of Nation, presents a similarly visionary way of thinking of
economics. As a regional planner, she sees the profound way that place
informs the human spirit and her work advocates for vibrant regional
economies.

At a time when the effects of the global economy are proving ever more
crushing on local communities and the people and ecology of those
communities, Schumacher's 1966 essay continues to challenge us to imagine
another kind of economic future.  That imagining is the first step to
implentation.

"Buddhist Economics" was collected in Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if
People Mattered, published in 1973 and translated into over twenty-seven
languages.  The book inspired a generation.  Through the kindness of Vreni
Schumacher and the generosity of the translators and publishers of her
husband's works, E. F. Schumacher Society staff are gathering together as
many versions of "Buddhist Economics" as possible to share with a new
generation through the Internet.  German, Greek, Japanese, Korean,
Norwegian, and Russian texts may already be viewed at the Schumacher
Society's web site. Danish, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish,
Spanish, and Swedish are soon to come.  Please share them widely, with
credit to their sources, as a message of peace and possibility in these
troubled times.  We encourage new translations for inclusion.

Schumacher's original English text of "Buddhist Economics," Jane Jacobs'
"Economy of Regions," and other Schumacher Society lectures may be read
on-line at any time or purchased in pamphlet form for gifts.

The E. F. Schumacher Society has spent twenty-four years stewarding a legacy
of best knowledge and best practices for renewing local economies.  Your
financial support will help us share these community economic tools more
broadly.  Simply send a tax-deductible contribution to the E. F. Schumacher
Society, 140 Jug End Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 USA, or use the
membership/donation form at www.smallisbeautiful.org.

Warm thanks on behalf of staff, volunteers, and the board of directors,