Professor Reiko Goto, who specializes in economic philosophy, which adds a philosophical perspective to the academic field of economics,
Explores the nature of "welfare," "justice," and "equality" in a world where economic rationality takes priority.
In the latest research, the keyword is "capability approach."
We conducted field surveys of people who actually live in cities,
We are examining ways to provide public welfare to enhance individual capabilities.
Hidden in “Profit Maximization”
Pointing out the dangers of economics
Economics analyzes various phenomena based on the premise that human behavior (regardless of individuals, including companies and nations) is for the purpose of maximizing their own profits. According to the premise, people work under the rationality of maximizing self-interest such as wages and evaluation. Even for things like helping others, which seem to be of no benefit to the individual, he maintains rationality by forcibly reasoning that it will be returned to his self-interest, such as "it will come back to me someday" or "the reputation of the world will improve." ing.
"However, economics, which is premised on the monism of profit maximization, can have a negative impact on people's basic thinking about people and society," points out Professor Reiko Goto of the Department Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics. She gave an analogy she often tells her students as a possible negative impact.
Suppose there are young siblings who are unable to touch a toy in front of them. My brother was the first to reach out. The younger brother shouted, "It's unfair," but when the older brother asked, "What did you want to do?" When the older brother heard the answer, he said, "Well, it turned out exactly as you thought, so why not?"
"The younger brother struggled to act because he was thinking, 'What should I do if someone else wants the toy?' But his older brother told him, 'That's in your best interest.' People, like the younger brother, are bound to experience conflict between 'what they should do' and 'what they want,' but monistic theory makes self-interest the only principle of action. What worries me is how the younger brother, having had this experience, will act the next time he encounters a similar situation. He may think, 'If I'm going to worry about it, I might as well just get it from the start.'" (Professor Goto)
"Those who do not work are lazy and cunning"
Incentive theory that makes you say
Professor Goto's specialty, "economic philosophy," is an academic field that analyzes the real world starting from the intersection of economics and philosophy. It is based on the ideas advocated by John Rawls, who proposed "A Theory of Justice," and Amartya Sen (1998 Nobel Prize in Economics), who used the term "rational fools" to argue that human behavior cannot be explained by economic rationality alone. His aim is to formulate his analysis from this perspective academically and apply it to real-world situations.
Professor Goto's research focuses on concerns about current economic activity and the global economy. For example, people work to earn as much wage income as possible in order to support themselves and their families, and receiving compensation is an incentive (motivation) for them. This idea, known as incentive theory, is consistent with the economic rationality of maximizing self-interest.
However, in a world where the incentive of remuneration is taken for granted, the idea that "the welfare state makes people lazy" is deeply rooted. When people see people receiving welfare support, feelings of anger arise, shielded by a sense of unfairness that "I'm working hard, but I'm missing out" and "other people should work just as hard." Professor Goto says that one of his challenges is to break down this part.
Professor Goto says that the key to solving this problem lies in the Japanese Constitution, which is familiar to all Japanese people. "Japan has Article 13 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to pursue happiness, and Article 25, which guarantees the right to life, and against the backdrop of these we have an excellent system of public assistance. In addition, according to the property rights recognized in Article 29 of the Constitution, people should be able to give their property to others of their own volition. I am thinking about creating a system that allows people to give out of the profits they have earned, while balancing Articles 13, 25, and 29 of the Japanese Constitution," says Professor Goto.
The purpose of working is not just to pursue one's own interests; many people also want to work for others who cannot work. However, in today's society, there are norms that distort such honest feelings, potentially leading people to interpret this as "others who cannot work are slacking off" or "I am being forced to work and am losing out." Professor Goto is concerned that one of the reasons for this may be economics based on monistic theory.
capabilities of the elderly and people with disabilities
Field survey from the perspective of "freedom of entry and exit"
In order to apply the research of economic philosophy to the real world, the university is also promoting research projects using actual cities as its field. Professor Goto is the principal investigator of a project called "Implementation of a Welfare Transportation System Based on the Capability Approach and Construction of a Survey and Analysis Program," which, with the cooperation of Kunitachi City, Tokyo, investigates the capabilities (potential) of elderly people and people with disabilities living in the city from the perspective of "freedom of entry and exit." To this end, the project is being carried out as a city-wide initiative, with the participation of a welfare paid transportation service run by a Kunitachi City NPO (an individual transportation service run by a non-profit organization such as an NPO or a local government) to determine what kind of public service can be created.
Professor Goto explains the aim of this research project as follows: "There should be 'freedom of coming and going', allowing people to think, 'I can go out whenever I want, so I'll just relax at home today,' or 'I can relax at home whenever I want, so I'll go out today,' and improving the quality of going out and staying at home is very important in enriching individuals' capabilities. Furthermore, by having rescue vehicles that connect homes travel slowly around the community, it may be possible to create a system where people can interact with each other while maintaining a distance and not get too involved, and where rescue can be provided if there is trouble within the home." (Professor Goto)
Professor Goto is also Professor at Teikyo University's Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, which was established with the aim of solving social issues through the integration of the humanities and sciences. Together additional post experts in econometrics, neuroscience, psychiatry, civic engineering, and educational engineering, he has begun comprehensive research on "freedom of movement" based on the capabilities approach.
"First, we need to measure and reconceptualize people's happiness and well-being. Beyond that, I believe there may be something called 'city capability.' Although a city is a collection of individuals, the sum of all the individuals is not equal to the city's capabilities. I would like to find a way to measure this city capability." (Professor Goto)
Thinking about "working" and "learning"
Popular lectures from students
Finally, we asked the students attending Professor Goto's lectures on "Introduction to Economics" and "Code of Conduct" for their opinions.
"I always look forward to his honest and down-to-earth talk on topics that are so familiar to us, such as 'why we learn?' I discover something new every time I attend a lecture." (1st year, Faculty of Liberal Arts)
"It was great to be able to gain a multifaceted perspective on one thing and put my vague feelings into words." (2nd year Teikyo University Junior College)
"I thought economics would be difficult for me, but it's really fun to learn what actions to take in response to events and what effects they have." (1st year, Faculty of Liberal Arts)
The lectures, which delve into themes such as "work" and "study," will be stimulating for students about to enter society. As an educator, Professor Goto says, "University is a special space where academic freedom is protected. Here, I want students to escape from their everyday lives and use their sensibilities, intellect, reason, and resources to the fullest."
As for his future as a researcher, he says he has the task of shaping democratic decision-making with stakeholders such as governments, NPOs, and citizens, using the "capability approach" as a keyword. On the other hand, Goto Professor says that his role in today's society is to look at the reach of the old economics and then extend that framework from the perspective of economic philosophy. He will look at "welfare," "equality," and "justice" from the perspective of economic philosophy and explore more effective ways of social support.
