A buddhist economics approach to innovation and capacity building: The case of Siam hands
© 2018 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest. The prevailing view of capacity building is summed up in the adage: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In other words, simple compassion is counterproductive; utilitarian measures of effectiveness are...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Review |
| Published: |
2019
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| Online Access: | https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/45345 |
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| Institution: | Mahidol University |
| Summary: | © 2018 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest. The prevailing view of capacity building is summed up in the adage: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In other words, simple compassion is counterproductive; utilitarian measures of effectiveness are the best standard for evaluating a social innovation. This paper will explore the alternative possibility that practicing simple compassion as the highest virtue, as did the Buddha, can be so productive that the aphorism should be: “Give a woman a fish, and she may help you build a fish farm.” This argument is illustrated by an exploratory case study of a Thai firm, Siam Hands. The company exemplifies a Buddhist economics approach to social innovation and capacity building, as opposed to mainstream Western utilitarianism. |
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