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Rethinking human well-being: a dialogue with Amartya Sen

2000; Wiley; Volume: 12; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/1099-1328(200010)12

1099-1328

Ananta Kumar Giri,

Political Philosophy and Ethics

Journal of International DevelopmentVolume 12, Issue 7 p. 1003-1018 Policy Arena Rethinking human well-being: a dialogue with Amartya Sen Ananta Kumar Giri, Corresponding Author Ananta Kumar Giri ananta@mids.tn.nic.in anantag@hotmail.com Madras Institute of Development Studies, IndiaMadras Institute of Development Studies, 79 Second Main Road, Gandhinagar, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, IndiaSearch for more papers by this author Ananta Kumar Giri, Corresponding Author Ananta Kumar Giri ananta@mids.tn.nic.in anantag@hotmail.com Madras Institute of Development Studies, IndiaMadras Institute of Development Studies, 79 Second Main Road, Gandhinagar, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, IndiaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 02 November 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1328(200010)12:7 3.0.CO;2-UCitations: 22AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract The paper undertakes a critical dialogue with the perspective of human well-being offered by Amartya Sen. Sen's notions of functioning and capability of individuals lack emphasis on self-development and how individuals can themselves advance their functioning and capability. Further, his notion of well-being as distinct from the agency aspect of the human person and his dualism of negative and positive freedom are not helpful for what Sen himself calls a comprehensive redefinition of human development as a quest for freedom. Finally, freedom is not sufficient, and development as freedom needs to be supplemented by a quest for development as responsibility. To overcome all this is difficult within Sen's frame of reference because of its lack of an ontological striving or a deep conceptualization of self and self-preparation. This prevents realization of the full potential of his quest for a wider supportive environment for human well-being, consisting of internal criticism of traditions, a pluralist framework of secular toleration and an epistemology of positional objectivity. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Citing Literature Volume12, Issue7October 2000Pages 1003-1018 RelatedInformation