ENTERING the 21st century, the developed countries are facing a common problem： shortage of talent, not funds, and lack of latest knowledge, not latest information.
Knowledge has become a crucial factor in the progress of a country. The systematic application of relevant knowledge to economy and industries makes what we now generally call“knowledge economy” or “knowledge industries”。
Only through education and training, which people receive from outside, and through thinking and selecting, which they carry on from within, can the huge volume of information be turned into systematic knowledge.
Knowledge as a factor in production is as old as land and labour. Yet, because of the fast growth and drastic changes of modern knowledge in its integration with economy, industries, science, technology and innovation,“knowledge-based economy” has evolved with overall impacts.
Four major factors in knowledge economy
To play a key role in the global knowledge economy, we must grasp the following four major factors.
The first is a new society, namely, an open society. Without an open society there can be no new-type economy. In fact, the United States remains the world's most competitive economy just because it is the world's most open society. It is more open than Germany and Japan, and much more so than Taiwan and mainland China.
It should be made clear that openness does not mean lack of order, restriction, or regulations. Conversely, to be genuinely open, a society must be maintained with a fair and just rule of law along with strict discipline.
The chaos in Taiwan shows that, once the rule of law becomes faulty, democracy and freedom will lead to disasters. Yet the best cure for this lies not in reducing democracy and freedom but in boosting the rule of law and discipline.
The second factor is a reasonable order of priority. Investments from governmental and non-governmental sources must focus on innovation, science and technology, knowledge and Internet, because these form the mainstream of knowledge economy. Therefore, domestic R & D and life-long education must receive ample emphasis.
Joseph A Schumpeter, a prominent economist of the 20th century, put forward the theory of innovation, which maintains that, for a country, the main impetus for growth comes from entrepreneurship and innovation.
The third factor is new opportunities. With globalisation going on and the Internet spreading far and fast, opportunities are springing up for investment, merger, strategic alliance, and other things.
They present new challenges as well as new opportunities to individuals and companies. For them, the only reliable way to remain fore-runners is by keeping on absorbintg new knowledge.
Facing such opportunities and challenges, one must speed up adjustment. That's why Bill Gates has pointed out time and again that the key issue in the 21st century is speed.
And lastly, a new soul. Knowledge economy is sure to make new billionnaires. The stocks' worth of Microsoft had reached US$590 billiion by the end of last year, exceeding the year's GDP of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines put together. It is no longer a myth that an individual person can be as rich as a country.
When knowledge － not business profits exclusively －becomes the leading force of economic activities, society is likely to see the coming of knowledge economy “with a soul”。
The “soul” represents the conscience of society.“Knowledge economy with a soul” is one that seeks the participation of the community, social justice and social responsibility in addition to profits.
For example, Bill Gates once told the media, “You criticise me for making profits aggressively, but why don't you present my generosity in giving donations？”
Surely, while most intellectuals cannot bear the aggressiveness of Bill, they admire his generosity.
（The Chinese original was published in Global View Monthly. The author is founder of the monthly and of Common Wealth, another monthly in Taiwan. He is also professor of economics at University of Wisconsin, US. Translated by Allen Zhuang）
提倡“有靈魂的”知識經(jīng)濟
進入21世紀,先進國家所面臨的共同問題,不是缺資金,而是缺人才；不是缺最新的資訊,而是缺最新的知識。
“知識”變成了一個國家是否進步的關鍵因素。把相關的知識有系統(tǒng)地運用到經(jīng)濟活動或某一產(chǎn)業(yè)上,現(xiàn)在泛稱為“知識經(jīng)濟”或“知識產(chǎn)業(yè)”。唯有透過外在的教育與學習,以及內(nèi)在的思考與篩選,浩瀚的資訊才可能變成系統(tǒng)的知識。
“知識”是個古老的生產(chǎn)因素,如土地與勞力一樣；但因為現(xiàn)代知識成長迅速,變化巨大,又加以與經(jīng)濟、產(chǎn)業(yè)、科技、創(chuàng)新等結(jié)合,促成了“知識經(jīng)濟”的獨領風騷。
知識經(jīng)濟的四個關鍵因素
如果我們要在全球知識經(jīng)濟中扮演重要的角色,我們就必須掌握四個關鍵因素。
一、新的社會：新的社會是指開放的社會；沒有開放的社會,就沒有新經(jīng)濟。事實上,今天美國競爭力之所以能高居全球之冠,就是在于它擁有世界上最開放的社會。德國、日本不如它；臺灣、大陸更不如它。
也許需要再澄清一點：開放不是沒有秩序、沒有約束、沒有規(guī)范。相反的,一個真正開放的社會,必須要有公平的法治與嚴格的紀律。臺灣社會的亂象正說明,當法治不健全時,民主與自由立即產(chǎn)生了可怕的后遺癥。治本之道,不是減少民主與自由,而是增加法治與紀律。
二、新的優(yōu)先次序：知識經(jīng)濟中以創(chuàng)新、科技、知識、網(wǎng)路為主流。政府與民間的投資必要以此為優(yōu)先。因此本土研發(fā)、終身學習等都值得全力推動。
二十世紀大經(jīng)濟學家熊彼德,曾提出創(chuàng)新學說——一國經(jīng)濟發(fā)展的主力是來自“企業(yè)家精神”與“創(chuàng)新”。
三、新的機會：隨著全球化與互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的無遠弗屆,各種新的投資、購并、策略聯(lián)盟……層出不窮地發(fā)生。它對個人與公司既是新機會,也是新挑戰(zhàn)。要確保個人與公司的,的護身符就是透過新知識的吸收而不會落后。
面對這種新的機會與挑戰(zhàn),只有加速調(diào)整,因此,比爾。蓋茲一再指出：2000年后的關鍵就是“速度”。
四、新的靈魂：知識經(jīng)濟必然創(chuàng)造了一些新富豪。去年年底微軟的股票市價5900億美元,居然超過了臺灣、香港、新加坡、菲律賓四處全年國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)毛額的總和?！案豢蓴硣辈辉偈巧裨?。
當知識——而非完全商業(yè)利潤——參與導航經(jīng)濟活動時,這個社會就容易出現(xiàn)“有靈魂的”知識經(jīng)濟?！办`魂”象征著良知與良心。
“有靈魂的知識經(jīng)濟”是指除了追求利潤之外,還要推動社區(qū)參與、社會公平與社會責任。
常常受到批評的比爾蓋茨有一次對媒體說：“你們只指我賺錢的時候非常兇悍,為什么不講我捐款的時候又是那么地慷慨？”
大多數(shù)的知識分子不能忍受蓋茨的兇悍,但欣賞他的慷慨。
Knowledge has become a crucial factor in the progress of a country. The systematic application of relevant knowledge to economy and industries makes what we now generally call“knowledge economy” or “knowledge industries”。
Only through education and training, which people receive from outside, and through thinking and selecting, which they carry on from within, can the huge volume of information be turned into systematic knowledge.
Knowledge as a factor in production is as old as land and labour. Yet, because of the fast growth and drastic changes of modern knowledge in its integration with economy, industries, science, technology and innovation,“knowledge-based economy” has evolved with overall impacts.
Four major factors in knowledge economy
To play a key role in the global knowledge economy, we must grasp the following four major factors.
The first is a new society, namely, an open society. Without an open society there can be no new-type economy. In fact, the United States remains the world's most competitive economy just because it is the world's most open society. It is more open than Germany and Japan, and much more so than Taiwan and mainland China.
It should be made clear that openness does not mean lack of order, restriction, or regulations. Conversely, to be genuinely open, a society must be maintained with a fair and just rule of law along with strict discipline.
The chaos in Taiwan shows that, once the rule of law becomes faulty, democracy and freedom will lead to disasters. Yet the best cure for this lies not in reducing democracy and freedom but in boosting the rule of law and discipline.
The second factor is a reasonable order of priority. Investments from governmental and non-governmental sources must focus on innovation, science and technology, knowledge and Internet, because these form the mainstream of knowledge economy. Therefore, domestic R & D and life-long education must receive ample emphasis.
Joseph A Schumpeter, a prominent economist of the 20th century, put forward the theory of innovation, which maintains that, for a country, the main impetus for growth comes from entrepreneurship and innovation.
The third factor is new opportunities. With globalisation going on and the Internet spreading far and fast, opportunities are springing up for investment, merger, strategic alliance, and other things.
They present new challenges as well as new opportunities to individuals and companies. For them, the only reliable way to remain fore-runners is by keeping on absorbintg new knowledge.
Facing such opportunities and challenges, one must speed up adjustment. That's why Bill Gates has pointed out time and again that the key issue in the 21st century is speed.
And lastly, a new soul. Knowledge economy is sure to make new billionnaires. The stocks' worth of Microsoft had reached US$590 billiion by the end of last year, exceeding the year's GDP of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines put together. It is no longer a myth that an individual person can be as rich as a country.
When knowledge － not business profits exclusively －becomes the leading force of economic activities, society is likely to see the coming of knowledge economy “with a soul”。
The “soul” represents the conscience of society.“Knowledge economy with a soul” is one that seeks the participation of the community, social justice and social responsibility in addition to profits.
For example, Bill Gates once told the media, “You criticise me for making profits aggressively, but why don't you present my generosity in giving donations？”
Surely, while most intellectuals cannot bear the aggressiveness of Bill, they admire his generosity.
（The Chinese original was published in Global View Monthly. The author is founder of the monthly and of Common Wealth, another monthly in Taiwan. He is also professor of economics at University of Wisconsin, US. Translated by Allen Zhuang）
提倡“有靈魂的”知識經(jīng)濟
進入21世紀,先進國家所面臨的共同問題,不是缺資金,而是缺人才；不是缺最新的資訊,而是缺最新的知識。
“知識”變成了一個國家是否進步的關鍵因素。把相關的知識有系統(tǒng)地運用到經(jīng)濟活動或某一產(chǎn)業(yè)上,現(xiàn)在泛稱為“知識經(jīng)濟”或“知識產(chǎn)業(yè)”。唯有透過外在的教育與學習,以及內(nèi)在的思考與篩選,浩瀚的資訊才可能變成系統(tǒng)的知識。
“知識”是個古老的生產(chǎn)因素,如土地與勞力一樣；但因為現(xiàn)代知識成長迅速,變化巨大,又加以與經(jīng)濟、產(chǎn)業(yè)、科技、創(chuàng)新等結(jié)合,促成了“知識經(jīng)濟”的獨領風騷。
知識經(jīng)濟的四個關鍵因素
如果我們要在全球知識經(jīng)濟中扮演重要的角色,我們就必須掌握四個關鍵因素。
一、新的社會：新的社會是指開放的社會；沒有開放的社會,就沒有新經(jīng)濟。事實上,今天美國競爭力之所以能高居全球之冠,就是在于它擁有世界上最開放的社會。德國、日本不如它；臺灣、大陸更不如它。
也許需要再澄清一點：開放不是沒有秩序、沒有約束、沒有規(guī)范。相反的,一個真正開放的社會,必須要有公平的法治與嚴格的紀律。臺灣社會的亂象正說明,當法治不健全時,民主與自由立即產(chǎn)生了可怕的后遺癥。治本之道,不是減少民主與自由,而是增加法治與紀律。
二、新的優(yōu)先次序：知識經(jīng)濟中以創(chuàng)新、科技、知識、網(wǎng)路為主流。政府與民間的投資必要以此為優(yōu)先。因此本土研發(fā)、終身學習等都值得全力推動。
二十世紀大經(jīng)濟學家熊彼德,曾提出創(chuàng)新學說——一國經(jīng)濟發(fā)展的主力是來自“企業(yè)家精神”與“創(chuàng)新”。
三、新的機會：隨著全球化與互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的無遠弗屆,各種新的投資、購并、策略聯(lián)盟……層出不窮地發(fā)生。它對個人與公司既是新機會,也是新挑戰(zhàn)。要確保個人與公司的,的護身符就是透過新知識的吸收而不會落后。
面對這種新的機會與挑戰(zhàn),只有加速調(diào)整,因此,比爾。蓋茲一再指出：2000年后的關鍵就是“速度”。
四、新的靈魂：知識經(jīng)濟必然創(chuàng)造了一些新富豪。去年年底微軟的股票市價5900億美元,居然超過了臺灣、香港、新加坡、菲律賓四處全年國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)毛額的總和?！案豢蓴硣辈辉偈巧裨?。
當知識——而非完全商業(yè)利潤——參與導航經(jīng)濟活動時,這個社會就容易出現(xiàn)“有靈魂的”知識經(jīng)濟?！办`魂”象征著良知與良心。
“有靈魂的知識經(jīng)濟”是指除了追求利潤之外,還要推動社區(qū)參與、社會公平與社會責任。
常常受到批評的比爾蓋茨有一次對媒體說：“你們只指我賺錢的時候非常兇悍,為什么不講我捐款的時候又是那么地慷慨？”
大多數(shù)的知識分子不能忍受蓋茨的兇悍,但欣賞他的慷慨。