58 pages 1 hour read

Amartya Sen

Development As Freedom

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1999

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Essay Topics

1.

Analyze how changing the focus of development from GNP per capita to freedom matters to public policy. How would development programs based on the idea of freedom be different?

2.

Define capabilities and functionings. Evaluate Sen’s argument that it is important to examine both in the context of measuring development.

3.

Sen asserts that “a person’s liberty should get just the same kind of importance (no more) that other types of personal advantages—incomes, utilities and so on—have” (64). What does he mean by this? What implications does this have for the idea of human rights?