Development as Freedom

Presented by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1988, this book offers a fundamental and paradigmatic framework for understanding economic development in both rich and poor countries in the twenty-first century.

Freedom, according to Sen, is both the goal and the most efficient means of sustaining economic life, as well as the key to securing the general welfare of the entire global population. By disentangling the idea of individual freedom from any specific historical, intellectual, political, or religious tradition, Sen clearly demonstrates its current applicability and potential. In the new global economy, where, despite unprecedented increases in overall prosperity, the modern world denies essential freedoms to a large number of people – perhaps even the majority – he concludes that it is still possible to practically and optimistically restore a sense of social responsibility. Development as Freedom is an essential read.

About the Author

Amartya Sen is a Master at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1988.