POLS1701 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Amartya Sen, Media Manipulation, Distributive Justice
Lecture 8 - Inequality as a Question of (in)justice
accounts of dev. are based on implicit assumptions about what ought to be
Development as freedom - Amartya Sen
if ppl are subjected to lives they do not want to live, this is an imposition + form of
harm
= an injustice
freedom as ends and means of development
centre of dev. = enhancing real freedoms = expansion of capabilities of people to
live the kind of lives they value/have reason to value
e.g. healthy lives etc.
ethic of mutual improvement and supportive systems
freedom is central to dev. for two reasons:
Evaluative reason - as an assessment of progress - have peoples freedoms been
enhanced?
Effectiveness reason - achievement of development is thoroughly dependent on the
free agency of people
leads to social democratic govt. where people have rights to education, healthcare,
elementary needs to live a dignified life
creativity of human beings is also important
bottom line is human flourishing
freedom is constitutive of development
instrumental freedoms to overcome constraints/enhance capabilities
political freedoms
Economic facilities
social opportunities
Transparency guarantees
protective security - including welfare, food provisions etc.
expanding the freedom of one type enhances other freedoms
state should provide elementary aspects to ensure citizens can participate in society
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