Arguments for a better world: Essays in honor of Amartya Sen

Abstract

Welfare economics and ethical theory are inextricably linked, necessitating that normative economic claims be grounded in moral philosophy. The capability approach offers an evaluative framework that prioritizes substantive freedoms and individual agency over traditional metrics such as aggregate income or utilitarian preference satisfaction. Measurement challenges, including the identification of multidimensional poverty, the assessment of ultrapoverty, and the aggregation of infinite utility streams, require sophisticated statistical and mathematical models to account for human diversity and the problem of adaptive preferences. Social choice theory examines the inherent tensions between individual rights and collective rationality, analyzing how non-consequentialist values and procedural fairness affect institutional design and social evaluation. Furthermore, the role of identity in social conflict, the ethics of international development aid, and the optimization of public finance through income taxation illustrate the application of these frameworks to global challenges. By integrating social choice with measurement and institutional analysis, a comprehensive understanding of well-being emerges that incorporates both achievements and the freedoms individuals possess to pursue valued lives. This interdisciplinary synthesis clarifies the conceptual foundations required to evaluate social progress and inform policies aimed at alleviating human deprivation. – AI-generated abstract.