Development Concepts with Shashank Priyadarshi

In his groundbreaking 1980 Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Stanford University, titled Equality of What? , Nobel laureate Amartya Sen challenged conventional approaches to measuring equality. He argued that focusing solely on marginal or total utility (happiness or satisfaction) or primary goods (resources like income or wealth) was inadequate for assessing human well-being. Instead, Sen proposed that social systems should prioritize expanding people’s capabilities —their real freedoms and opportunities to achieve the lives they value. This idea, known as the Capabilities Approach , shifted the focus from what people have to what they can do and be . Below, we explore the key concepts of Sen’s framework, followed by Martha Nussbaum’s complementary Capability Theory of Justice , presented in a clear, engaging, and detailed manner. Amartya Sen’s Capabilities Approach: Core Concepts Sen’s Capabilities Approach redefines well-being by emphasizing the freedoms individuals have to live f...