Some scholars with a little knowledge of Buddhism are of the opinion that there is no socio-economic and political philosophy of Buddhism. A well-known scholar, Max Weber, who is considered “the father of Sociology of Religion,” explaining the socio-political aspect of Buddhism says:

Buddhism had no sort of tie with any sort of social movement, nor did it run in parallel with such and it has established no social and political goal.

The Pāli term attha (artha in Sanskrit) has many meanings, viz., profit, advantage, prosperity, welfare, well-being, and success. Generally speaking, the word ‘attha’ as success relates to the various aspects of man’s social and economic development -- such as the economy, politics, education, health, law, and morality of society. It refers to economic development and social progress due to the harmonious unification of all the above factors and it contributes to the peaceful co-existence and prosperity of a people.