Humane market economy

The humane market economy is a further development of the social market economy . It puts people at the center of all economic activities and considerations in a holistic approach. This people-oriented economic model focuses less on social equalization at the end of the market process and more on

Education , training and further education of people to become equal and responsible actors in business and society,
Creation and securing of equal competitive conditions for people and companies as market participants, according to the findings of the Freiburg School
Sustainable management with conservation of resources and greater consideration of environmental issues as well as causal relationships and interactions between society, companies, people and the environment, in accordance with human ecology and
Less thinking and acting in purely quantitative categories of money economism and turbo-capitalism, but rethinking in the direction of an economy oriented towards the real needs of people with qualitative growth and distributional and intergenerational justice .

Roots of the human market economy

The roots of the “human market economy” are humanism z. B. one ( Erasmus von Rotterdam ), the ordo-liberalism of the Freiburg School, ( Walter Eucken , Franz Böhm ), the Christian social doctrine ( Oswald von Nell-Breuning ) as well as that based on these elements, conceptually shaped by Alfred Müller-Armack and Original social market economy implemented by Ludwig Erhard in politics. In addition, answers to new challenges of our time, such as B. globalization , environment, intergenerational equity and demographic development can be found. The aim of this economic model is to give people fair chances in life and freedom of freedom in personal responsibility and to create a model for people, business and society based on the principles of freedom, sustainability, personal responsibility and solidarity.

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Ludwig Erhard warned of the undesirable developments in the social market economy in 1963. These have led to an overstretching of the social systems and at the same time, through excessive dismantling of market regulations and the erosion of the principles of ordoliberalism, Germany’s debt has increased dramatically to currently (2011) around 2 trillion euros. Since 1950, German liabilities have statistically doubled every 7.5 years. This has led to a “pump capitalism” ( Ralf Dahrendorf ) that has already led entire states to the economic abyss. The weakening of the middle class and the increasing spread between rich and poor also threaten in the long term a destabilization of society and thus a threat to democracy.

education

Good education is the key and a prerequisite for life chances, scope for freedom and a decent life. A rethinking of politics from “welfare state thinking and acting” at the end of the market process (repair function for fair results ) to a massive increase in financial resources for education, training and further education of the actors in the market process (investment in equal opportunities ) is the central task of the state and thus the key to individual success and well-being in business and society. "Education is a civil right". Ralf Dahrendorf

Regulatory framework

Regulatory policy in the sense of the Freiburg School serves to create and secure a functional and humane order for the economy, society and the state. This requires a strong state that stands above individual interests and provides the regulatory framework for performance competition and prevents monopolies, oligopolies and unjustified advantages from special and particular interests. Within this regulatory framework - monitored by the state and sanctioned violations - a humane market economy gives people and companies the greatest possible freedom. Opportunities and profits must be matched by corresponding risks and liabilities.

Landscape of values

The market process does not take place in a value-free space. In addition to the rules of ordoliberalism, ethics and morals play another key role. Humanity , solidarity and personal responsibility , based on the liberal ideal of a responsible and self-determined person, are essential principles of this ethically oriented economic model. According to the “ State of the Future ” of the “ Millennium Project ”, they play the key role of the future global economy. Well-run family businesses with the principle of the honorable businessman are considered to be the prototype of a human market economy.

Humanism and the image of man

The model is based on the humanistic view of man: Man is basically good, but must be viewed holistically with all strengths and weaknesses and cannot be reduced to a homo economicus who is only fixated on short-term success and profit. The right to freedom in the economic process must be paired with the obligation in Section 14 of the Basic Law: "Property obliges ...". A humane market economy requires sustainable management and responsibility for the community, the environment and posterity. So the human being should not only be seen as an individual, but also in his social and societal relationship. With appropriate training, he is able and eager to determine his own life (autonomy) and to give it meaning and purpose.

The humane market economy tries to give an answer to Walter Eucken's question, "How can the modern industrialized economy be given a functional and humane order?" The overriding principle of this economic model is therefore not only efficiency and functionality, but also and especially the ultimate purpose of economic activity and the consideration of people.

history

The term humane market economy was first used as a postulate in 1978 at a keynote lecture by Erwin Niesslein (professor at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg ). In the scientific literature he found in his book Humane Marktwirtschaft. Economic aspects of environmental policy from 1981 - with the demand to further develop the social market economy - Use: “If we acknowledge what was more than 30 years ago with the theoretical conception and political implementation of the social market economy in the Federal Republic Germany, we are called today to take a further step towards a humane market economy, in order to give human positions the necessary priority in view of the changed conditions and increasing material interdependencies, in order to make human freedom the starting point for development in the 3. To preserve the millennium ”.

The term humane market economy was then used as the objective for a human-oriented economic policy in the speech by the President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce , Christoph Leitl , on the occasion of the constituent meeting of the economic parliament on June 23, 2005 with the title: Humane Market Economy - Future Perspective 2010 . The term humane market economy was first used as an approach to a closed economic model by Maximilian Erlmeier , chairman of the Freiburg think tank , in 2008 and 2010 as part of a lecture series of the Colloquium politicum of the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg with the lectures: Humane market economy - economic order for a human future and Humane market economy - an alternative to social market economy and rampant capitalism introduced into the discussion. Since 2008, facets of this economic model have been presented by representatives from business (e.g. Claus Hipp , Klaus Endress, President WVIB ), Horst Kary, Honorary Senator of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Science (e.g. Viktor J. Vanberg , Head Walter Eucken Institute , Arnold Weissman , Eberhard Schockenhoff , member of the National Ethics Council, Rudolf Hickel , Bernd Raffelhüschen , Lars Feld (member of the Expert Council for the Assessment of Macroeconomic Development; Head of the Walter Eucken Institute), Rolf Stürner (Faculty of Law, University of Freiburg) and Journalists ( Hans-Ulrich Jörges ) and politicians ( Christian Lindner ) discussed and discussed in lectures at the Colloquium politicum of the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg.

The term was also used as a subtitle in the book by Franz Alt and Peter Spiegel : Good business - humane market economy as a way out of the crisis , published in 2009 and in the first chapter of the principles adopted by the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce in 2009: “From the social to the humane market economy ".

literature

Peter Haisenko, Hubert von Brunn: The humane market economy: The economic and financial system for the benefit of all people. Anderwelt Verlag, Munich 2015, ISBN 978-3-940321-13-8 .
Erwin Niesslein: Humane market economy. Economic aspects of environmental policy. Hochschul-Verlag, Freiburg (Breisgau) 1981, ISBN 3-810768-01-4 .
Wolfgang Jäger : Introduction "Humane Market Economy - Economic Order for a Human Future". Colloquium politicum, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, lecture series Humane Marktwirtschaft, November 6, 2008.
Franz Alt, Peter Spiegel: Good business. Humane market economy as a way out of the crisis. 2009.
Christoph Leitl : Future Perspective 2010: A Humane Market Economy! Speech by the President of the Austrian Economic Chamber on the occasion of the constituent meeting of the Economic Parliament on June 23, 2005.
Arnold Weissman: Humane Market Economy. Publications Weissman Group, 2009.
For responsibility in politics, business and society. Principles of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce, 2009.
- Chapter 1: Humane market economy - economic order for a human future. From the social to the humane market economy. on-line
Humane market economy on the Upper Rhine - a perspective for the metropolitan region? 3 Ufer / Rives, 2011.