Summary of Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 There is a connection between opulence and achievements, but the link may or may not be strong and depend on many other circumstances. The issue is not the ability to live forever on which Maitreyee concentrated, but the capability to live a good life while you are alive. #2 The usefulness of wealth is in the things it allows us to do. But this relation is not exclusive or uniform, since the impact of wealth on our lives varies with other influences. Development must be more concerned with enhancing the lives we lead and the freedoms we enjoy. #3 There are many ways in which people are deprived of their freedom. For example, many people in third world countries lack basic opportunities of health care, or functional education, or gainful employment, or economic and social security. #4 Economic development has many dimensions, including economic security. Political liberty and civil freedoms are also important on their own, and do not have to be justified indirectly in terms of their effects on the economy.