Development as Freedom
Encyclopedia
Development as Freedom is a book focused on international development
written by economist Amartya Sen
.
while it is simply a matter of realising these capabilities that will allow a person to escape from poverty and their state of 'unfreedom'. Sen questions the status quo of development economics
and argues that income poverty should not be the single most important factor in determining development. Sen argues that in spite of a world of sheer abundance, there simultaneously exist populations living in a state of 'unfreedom', unable to realise their capabilities.
Sen attempts to expand the basic interpretations of freedom by examining five elemental forms of instrumental freedoms: political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security. Each form of freedom is complementary to each other, remaining interrelated and inextricable. These freedoms constitute not only the means, but also the ends in development. Poverty, Sen asserts, should be seen "as a deprivation of basic capabilities, rather than merely as low income" (Sen, 1999), contesting the general belief amongst economists who view income as the be all and end all of development.
He was praised by the Prize Committee
for bringing an "ethical dimension" to a field recently dominated by technical specialists. Based on the example of the former Soviet Union, Sen argued that political liberties are necessary for sustainable development. He also compared the development strategies of India and China, arguing that Indian democratic processes provide a firmer guarantee of long term stable growth. Sen argued against the notion that a specific set of "Asian values" exists that might provide a justification for authoritarian regimes.
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
written by economist Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
.
Background
Amartya Sen posits that all individuals are endowed with a certain set of capabilitiesCapability approach
The capability approach was initially conceived in the 1980s as an approach to welfare economics....
while it is simply a matter of realising these capabilities that will allow a person to escape from poverty and their state of 'unfreedom'. Sen questions the status quo of development economics
Development economics
Development Economics is a branch of economics which deals with economic aspects of the development process in low-income countries. Its focus is not only on methods of promoting economic growth and structural change but also on improving the potential for the mass of the population, for example,...
and argues that income poverty should not be the single most important factor in determining development. Sen argues that in spite of a world of sheer abundance, there simultaneously exist populations living in a state of 'unfreedom', unable to realise their capabilities.
Sen attempts to expand the basic interpretations of freedom by examining five elemental forms of instrumental freedoms: political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security. Each form of freedom is complementary to each other, remaining interrelated and inextricable. These freedoms constitute not only the means, but also the ends in development. Poverty, Sen asserts, should be seen "as a deprivation of basic capabilities, rather than merely as low income" (Sen, 1999), contesting the general belief amongst economists who view income as the be all and end all of development.
He was praised by the Prize Committee
Nobel Committee
A Nobel Committee is the working body responsible for the most of the work involved in selecting Nobel Prize laureates. There are five Nobel Committees, one for each Nobel Prize....
for bringing an "ethical dimension" to a field recently dominated by technical specialists. Based on the example of the former Soviet Union, Sen argued that political liberties are necessary for sustainable development. He also compared the development strategies of India and China, arguing that Indian democratic processes provide a firmer guarantee of long term stable growth. Sen argued against the notion that a specific set of "Asian values" exists that might provide a justification for authoritarian regimes.