https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/a_new_way_to_view_money_and_happiness#thank-influence
It’s a very important perspective in social science research! Quite a lot of psychological research in this area has been conducted, including the behavioral economic research of my “grand master,” Kahneman. But, “Previous studies have tended to focus on people in wealthier, Western, urbanized countries.”, which was always a point that was made against Western social science research today.
And this is the sum and general view of those studies. I think it is very interesting. The path to happiness, as taught by Lao Zhuang philosophy, is “small country, small people.” If there is a small and gentle, nurturing community, there is no need for money.
Having said that, almost all industrialized and semi-industrialized countries, including Japan, have a system in which money has to be valued very highly. That is the rule of capitalism. We need to find a balance and devise a way to do so.
By the way, the link to the previous studies on the relationship between money and happiness in industrialized countries that appears at the front of the article is very useful, so if you have time, please take a look.
社会科学系の研究においては非常に重要な視点ですよね！このエリアの心理学的な研究は、私の「大師匠」にあたる カーネマンの行動経済学的な研究など、かなり多くの研究が進められてきました。でも、「Previous studies have tended to focus on people in wealthier, Western, urbanized countries.」という、必ず欧米の社会科学研究に対して突っ込まれる点が指摘されていました。
そして今回の研究の成果ですね。非常に興味深いと思います。老荘思想が説くところの、幸せに通ずる道は「小国寡民」というやつでしょうかね。小さく優しい コミュニティがあれば、貨幣などいらんというやつです。
とは言ったものの、我が国も含めてほぼ全ての産業化先進国や准先進国は、貨幣というものに大きな価値を置かざるを得ないシステムです。それが資本主義のルールでもあるので。バランスを取って工夫する必要があります。
ちなみに、記事の前の方に出ている先進国における金と幸福の関係についての先行研究のリンクは、とても役に立つので、時間があればぜひご覧ください。
(Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash)
