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Reinventing Amartya Sen's Paradigm of Human Development Reinventing Amartya Sen’s Paradigm of Human Development Dr. Jairo Morales-Nieto Executive Director, INAFCON 1 Summary already discussed in a previous essay. These are some of the rea- Since its birth during the sunset of the twenty century, Amartya Sen’s para- sons to rejuvenate Sen’s paradigm deserving plenty of epistemic digm of human development has been the most acknowledgeable revolution worth to its original philosophical rebellion against utilitarianism in social sciences. It can be studied as a moral philosophy, political economy, and orthodox neoclassic economics. In so doing, I also pursue to welfare economics, distributive justice theory, social contract theory, and a reinforce Sen’s societal transformation ideals, structural reform new metric of human progress. It is a powerful conceptual model having proposals, and development policy patterns. considerable proficiency to replace the hegemony of neoliberalism as main- stream economics and development policy. However, the takeover process has A Core Thesis Streamlining our Discourse not happened yet because, first, neoliberalism is not only a powerful economic In an inaugural essay published by this magazine, I concluded brand, but also an ideology deeply rooted in the genes of conventional market that «rising wealth and income inequality» is one of the greatest societies and people’s mindset; second, there is a growing feeling that Sen’s threats to the stability and social cohesion of market societies in 2 paradigm still needs to take distance from neoliberal survival stratagems the twenty-first century. In line with this dictum, the central intended to opportunistically gain possession of some suitable attributes of thesis of this paper states that if Sen’s paradigm aims to uplift the human development brand; and third, it is quite visible the insufficiency much fairer and more equitable market societies by taking as its of the whole set of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (whose origins best vehicle the full achievement of the Sustainable Development essentially descend from Sen’s thoughts) to produce accurate transformative Goals (SDGs), Amartya Sen and his disciples must undertake a changes that can radically substitute the prevalent neoliberal distribution series of refinements covering ontological, teleological, theoretical, theory, known as «trickle-down economics», that has driven most market strategical, developmental and methodological domains, without societies to intolerable levels of wealth and income concentration with the re- which it is unlikely to guarantee any remarkable transformative pulsive consequences of breaking social cohesion everywhere, and even worse, change and impact by 2030, and a lot less, to convert itself into an reviving archaic and noxious class struggle ideologies. All these undesirable alternative paradigm to neoliberalism. This thesis represents the 3 factors and circumstances working together suggest that it is a good moment spirit, the starting and arrival points of this essay. to reinvent Sen’s paradigm in the best sense of the word. This essay contains a brief introduction to the main features of the reinvention process showing New Departures in Sen’s Paradigm at the same time an epistemic path to erect Sen’s paradigm as the dominant Looking back at the evolution of Sen’s paradigm since its birth model to follow. in the 1990s, we can testify an impressive adoption of its original world vision by scholars, development strategists, practitioners, What does ‘Reinventing’ Mean? and politicians. Today, thirty years later, certainly, Sen’s paradigm In this paper, I use the word ‘reinventing’ in the sense of remain- faces renewed intellectual challenges as I describe below. It is ing Sen’s classic thoughts but making them fresh and current in about what I like to call «new departures» which are aimed at the light of the welfare imperatives of today’s market societies. syntonising Sen’s paradigm with contemporary development re- In other words, while I recognize that the philosophical and his- alities and thoughts, and above of all, societal demands for shift- 4 torical pertinency of Sen’s thoughts remains intact across time, ing neoliberal hegemony both as economics and as ideology. on the other hand, I have to admit that the usage, particularly, of the «human development» brand has lost a bit of brightness and Ontological Departure fascination. This is -in my view- because of its popularization (or The original assertion that «human development is about putting vulgarization?) and even reductionism as solely a statistical index people at the centre of all development processes» as proclaimed and a political pact towards the 2030 Sustainable Development by Sen’s institutional adherents sounds marvellous, but it is not Goals. But Sen’s paradigm is much more than that as we have free of criticism, particularly, when we consider the concerns re- 44 April/June 2006 Vol.17 AfricagrowthIssue 2 Africagrowth Agenda Agenda © 2020 Africagrowth Institute © 2014 Africagrowth Institute Africagrowth Agenda 4 garding the outreach of this precept from conspicuous Phil-en- and policymakers to focus on only one or very few goals while 5 vironmentalists. They argue correctly that the idea of conceiving optimizing global welfare functions rather than setting up a large the human being as the center or king of world evolution, with- constellation of most likely inaccessible goals and targets. By way out granting a similar hierarchy to non-human life and natural of illustration, let’s say that the Keynesian paradigm identified ecosystems from which all living species on earth depend for «full employment» as the core subject of its macroeconomic theo- their inception and reproduction, turns out to be very narrow ry and policy and organized around it all its forces to bring down philosophical ethics in its conception and scope. In other words, the Great Depression and its multiple consequences. A similar subjecting the existence of other species and the natural environ- scientific posture was assumed by the Friedmanian paradigm that ment at the expense of the selfish and utilitarian interest of hu- encountered in the «(hyper) inflation control and price stabiliza- man beings is ethically unacceptable. This type of anthropocen- tion» the Leitmotiv of its monetary theory and economic policy trism, which could be also understood as human chauvinism (‘the activity. By analogy, I think that Sen’s paradigm is due to identify human being is privileged simply because it is human’), usually a unique welfare or superior goal to achieve, around which the carries very negative consequences not only in terms of people’s current SDGs’ system must turn by playing an instrumental or in- motivation for environmental protection and conservation, but termediate instead of an ultimate role. In other words, the whole also concerning the disposition that society gives to ecosystems SDGs’ system must be taken as a means to achieve a specific end to improve the quality of life and social well-being in general. and not as an end itself. Understood so my reasoning, the key The way out from this philosophical crossroads, as said by our question would be then: which overarching goal or end shall Sen’s ponderous natural scientists, is not to assume an anti-anthropo- paradigm set up to optimize and realize its global welfare func- centric position embracing another opposite misconception, i.e. tion? After a comprehensive survey of the state of the art in con- pure ecocentrist (‘non-human species and natural environments temporary development economics and policy, I concluded that are privileged’). It is essentially about recognizing and at the same the question of «rising extreme wealth and income inequality» is time creating a conceptual and ethical balance between the prior- one of the greatest problems that is seriously affecting economic ity of human life and the acceptance that this priority is unfea- welfare, social cohesion, and political stability of most market 7 sible unless equal hierarchy is given to the preservation, conser- societies in the early twenty-first century. So, by logical norma- vation, and reproduction of ecosystems and biodiversity which tive conversion for development policy and planning purposes together are the guarantee of realizing human life and that of «to rise wealth and income equality» would be such a superior other species. This interesting ontological discussion seems to be or teleological goal to achieve in the attempt to reinvent Sen’s essential to refine the extent of Sen’s paradigm when an indisput- paradigm of human development and consequently by modelling able connection between the human well-being and the natural its strategical and policy implementation in practice. This task environment is recognized seriously. is essentially concerned with bringing the whole SDGs’ system around the unique teleological goal. As an analogy, it is like the Teleological Departure understanding of the relation and functioning of the solar system The search for «a unique teleological goal» to realize Sen’s para- with its stars, planets and respective orbits. digm in practice is a determinant condition for its success. This statement has its origin in my deep worry concerning the real Theoretical Departure feasibility of achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals The normative set up of the proposed unique teleological goal, upon the observation that the SDGs’ normative framework em- namely, «to rise wealth and economic equality» implies
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