Welfare, Resources, and Capabilities: A Review of Inequality Reexamined by Amartya Sen
Author(s)
Sugden, Robert
Abstract
For the past three decades, Amartya Sen has been a leading critic of welfarism, the orthodox theory of normative economics. In a recent book, Inequality Reexamined, Sen continues his probing attack on the foundations of welfarism, arguing that its “informational base,” which consists entirely of information about preferences, is too weak to support an acceptable or even coherent account of the social good. Instead, he argues that normative economics should be grounded on an enriched informational base that describes the capability of individuals to achieve valuable functionings. This review selectively analyses Sen’s alternative normative theory and some of its implications for justice and equality.
