Richard K. Payne, Ph.D., is Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley, where he teaches courses on tantric Buddhism and methods in the study of Buddhism.
This is a critical reflection in three steps. In the first step we argue that there is a significant difference between Buddhist praxis in exchange economies and in capitalist economies. The second step seeks to expose the conceptual framework of modern capitalist economies, explicating the neoliberal ideology that has become naturalized as simply a value-free description of the human condition, and the consequent values defined by a neoliberal conception of individual ‘flourishing’. Neoliberal ideology can be seen in particularly clear form in rational choice theory, which has been applied as an economic theory of religion. The third step is an examination of how Buddhism is represented in the context of the preconceptions and values of neoliberal ideology.
目次
Introduction 275 1. Distinguishing Exchange Economies and Capitalist Economies 277 2. Neoliberal Ideology 281 3. Naturalizing Neoliberalism: Rational Choice Theory 282 4. Neoliberal Representations of Contemporary Buddhism 288 4.1. A Kinder, Gentler Capitalism: Buddhism as Moderating Capitalism 290 4.2. Redefining Capitalism as Universally Beneficial 291 4.3. ‘Zen Capitalism’: A Buddho-Capitalist Hybrid 293 4.4. Goal explained in Capitalist Terms 294 Conclusion 295 Bibliography 297
