When we speak about the economy, it often seems as if it is only about numbers: economic growth, inflation, income, taxes, and so on. Yet we should remember that the purpose of the economy is not numbers, indicators or growth in themselves. Its purpose is human life: people’s ability to survive and to live well.
The same is true of money. Money is not an end in itself. In essence, it represents what we can buy with it. First and foremost, this means the basic goods that enable us to survive and to live a decent life. Today, however, money is increasingly used to make even more money, especially through speculation. A large part of financial flows is therefore caught up in speculation, which mainly serves to enrich a small minority.
Economists, businesspeople and many others often say that there is no room in the economy for emotions such as compassion and love. Business, they argue, should be a matter of reason, free from unnecessary emotion. But is that really true? In reality, positive qualities such as compassion, altruism, goodwill and love are often neglected or denied in economic life, while negative forces such as greed, selfishness and envy often play a major role.
This is sometimes called “business as usual”, regardless of the human or social consequences. Yet with every economic decision, from those made by governments to those made by small companies, we should ask ourselves: what does this bring to people, to society as a whole, and to the environment? Does it bring good or harm?
This is the foundation of all human conduct. We face such questions constantly. Whether we do good or harm is always our choice, and we know our actions have consequences, whether good or bad. Why, then, do we not take this seriously when it comes to the economy?
If we produce guns, they will most likely be used. If we speculate with money, there will be a shortage of it somewhere else. If we hoard goods, they will be in short supply elsewhere. Economic decisions, whether personal, corporate or national, always have real consequences. Sometimes these consequences are very severe.
According to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025, between 638 and 720 million people faced hunger in 2024, representing 7.8 to 8.8 per cent of the world’s population. In addition, about 2.3 billion people, or 28 per cent of the world’s population, were moderately or severely food insecure.
These are real consequences of the economic decisions made by the most developed countries and large corporations. Indirectly, they are also connected with all of us who support or maintain such an unjust system, perhaps as consumers, employees or voters.
The economy, then, is not merely a game of numbers, money and “cold” business decisions. It is always about people, their survival and well-being, and the well-being of the planet as a whole. That is why the sharing economy offers a path towards the well-being of all, and with it, towards peace and the preservation of the environment.
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