Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T17:11:01.022Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Welfare, Freedom and Social Choice: a Reply

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2016

Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen*
Affiliation:
Harvard University
Get access

Abstract

The editors of this journal have kindly offered me the opportunity to write a “reply” to the essays included in this special number. It is not easy to respond adequately to such a rich collection of challenging ideas and contributions, nor to hide the fact that I am delighted — and feel tremendously honoured — by the occasion and by this wonderful set of essays. The papers cover a wide variety of fields : social choice theory and welfare economics (Blackorby, Donaldson and Weymark; Moulin); bargaining theory and social choice (Roemer); social justice and equality (Cohen; Van Parijs); evaluation of freedom (Pattanaik and Xu); rights and consequentialism (Steiner); evaluation of poverty (Bourguignon and Fields); standards of living (Schokkaert and Van Ootegem). I shall follow the authors from territory to territory, like a solitary “groupie”. But I shall also crane my neck in trying to view one territory from another, to explore some interconnections.

Type
Research Article
Information
Recherches Économiques de Louvain/ Louvain Economic Review , Volume 56 , Issue 3-4: A Special Issue in Honor of Professor A. Sen : Alternatives to Welfarism , 1990 , pp. 451 - 485
Copyright
Copyright © Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de recherches économiques et sociales 1990 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

I am grateful to Jean Drèze and Emma Rothschild for helpful comments, and to the National Science Foundation for research support.

References

Ackerman, B.A. (1980), Social Justice in the Liberal State, New Haven, Conn., Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Anand, S. (1983), Inequality and Poverty in Malaysia, New York, Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Arneson, R. (1989), Equality and Equal Opportunity for Welfare, Philosophical Studies, vol. 54.Google Scholar
Arrow, KJ. (1951), Social Choice and Individual Values, New York, Wiley.Google Scholar
Atkinson, A.B. (1970), On the Measurement of Inequality, Journal of Economic Theory, vol. 2; reprinted in Atkinson, (1983).Google Scholar
Atkinson, A.B. (1983), Social Justice and Public Policy, Brighton, Harvester Wheatsheaf, and Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press.Google Scholar
Atkinson, A.B. (1987), On the Measurement of Poverty, Econometrica, vol. 55, pp. 749–64.Google Scholar
Atkinson, A.B. (1989), Poverty and Social Security, New York, Harvester Wheatsheaf.Google Scholar
Beitz, C.W. (1986), Amartya Sen’s Resources, Values and Development, Economics and Philosophy, vol. 2.Google Scholar
Blackorby, C, and Donaldson, D. (1980), Ethical Indices for the Measurement of Inequality, Econometrica, vol. 48, pp. 1053–60.Google Scholar
Blackorby, C, Donaldson, D. and Weymark, J. (1990), A Welfarist Proof of Arrow’s Theorem, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 .Google Scholar
Bos, D., Rose, M. and Seidl, C. (eds.), (1986), Welfare and Efficiency in Public Economics, Berlin, Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Bourguignon, P. and Fields, G.S. (1990), Poverty Measures and Anti-Poverty Policy, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n’ 3-4 , pp. 409–27.Google Scholar
Cohen, G.A. (1989) On the Currency of Egalitarian Justice, Ethics, vol. 99, pp. 906–44.Google Scholar
Cohen, G.A. (1990a), Equality of what? On Welfare, Resources and Capabilities, in: Nussbaum, and Sen, (1990).Google Scholar
Cohen, G.A. (1990b), Equality of what? On Welfare, Goods and Capabilities, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 , pp. 357–82.Google Scholar
Dworkin, R. (1981), What is equality? Part 2: Equality of resources, Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 10, n° 4, pp. 283–345.Google Scholar
Edgeworth, F.Y. (1881), Mathematical Psychics, London, Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Foley, D. (1967), Resource Allocation in the Public Sector, Yale Economic Essays, vol. 7, n’ 1, pp. 45–98.Google Scholar
Foster, J. (1984), On Economic Poverty: A Survey of Aggregate Measures, Advances in Econometrics, vol. 3.Google Scholar
Poster, J., Greer, J., and Thorbecke, E. (1984), A Class of Decomposable Poverty Measures, Econometrica, vol. 42, pp. 761–6.Google Scholar
Foster, J. and Shorrocks, A. F. (1988a), Inequality and Poverty Orderings, European Economic Review, vol. 32, pp. 654–61.Google Scholar
Foster, J. and Shorrocks, A.F. (1988b), Poverty Orderings, Econometrica, vol. 56, pp. 173–6.Google Scholar
Gaertner, W., Pattanaik, P. and Suzumura, K. (1990), Individual Rights Revisited, mimeographed.Google Scholar
Gosling, J.C.B. (1969), Pleasure and Desire, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Griffin, J. (1986), Well-being, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Hammond, PJ. (1976), Why Ethical Measures of Inequality Need Interpersonal Comparisons, Theory and Decision, vol. 7.Google Scholar
Hare, R.M. (1981), Moral Thinking, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Kakwani, S.R. (1980) On a Class of Poverty Measures, Econometrica, vol. 48, pp. 437–46.Google Scholar
Kanbur, S.M.R. (1987), Measurement and Alleviation of Poverty, IMF Staff Papers, vol. 34, pp. 60–85.Google Scholar
Kornai, J. (1988), Individual Freedom and the Reform of Socialist Economy, European Economic Review, vol. 32.Google Scholar
Lindbeck, A. (1988), Individual Freedom and Welfare State Policy, European Economic Review, vol. 32.Google Scholar
Mcmurrin, S. (1980) Tanner Lectures on Human Values, vol. 1, Salt Lake City, University of Utah Press, and Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Meade, J.E. (1976), The Just Economy, London, Allen and Unwin.Google Scholar
Moulin, H. (1990), Interpreting Common Ownership, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 , pp. 303–26.Google Scholar
Nagel, T. (1980) The Limits of Objectivity, in: McMurrin, (1980).Google Scholar
Nagel, T. (1986), The View From Nowhere, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Nash, J.F. (1950), The Bargaining Problem, Econometrica, vol. 18.Google Scholar
Nozick, R. (1974), Anarchy, State and Utopia, Oxford, Blackwell.Google Scholar
Nozick, R. (1989), The Examined Life, New York, Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Nussbaum, M.C. (1988) Nature, Function, and Capability: Aristotle on Political Distribution, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy, supplementary volume.Google Scholar
Nussbaum, M.C. and Sen, A. (eds.), (1990) The Quality of Life, Oxford, Clarendon Press, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Parfit, D. (1984), Reasons and Persons, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Pattanaik, P.K., and Xu, Y, (1989), On Ranking Opportunity Sets in Terms of Freedom of Choice, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 , pp. 383–90.Google Scholar
Pigou, A.C. (1920), The Economics of Welfare, London, MacMillan.Google Scholar
Ramsey, F.P. (1978), Foundations: Essays in Philosophy, Logic, Mathematics and Economics, London, Routledge.Google Scholar
Rawls, J. (1971), A Theory of Justice, Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Rawls, J., et al (1987), Liberty, Equality and Law: Selected Tanner Lectures on Moral Philosophy, ed. by McMurrin, S.M., Salt Lake City, University of Utah Press, and Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Riley, J. (1987), Liberal Utilitarianism: Social Choice Theory and J.S. Mill’s Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Roemer, J.E. (1985), Equality of talent, Economics and Philosophy, vol. 1, pp. 151–87.Google Scholar
Roemer, J.E. (1986), Equality of Resources Implies Equality of Welfare, Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 101, pp. 751–84.Google Scholar
Roemer, J. E. (1990), Welfarism and Axiomatic Bargaining Theory, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 , pp. 287–301.Google Scholar
Ross, D. (1980), Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics, English translation, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Samuelson, P.A. (1947), Foundations of Economic Analysis, Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Scanlon, T. (1975), Preference and Urgency, Journal of Philosophy, vol. 72.Google Scholar
Scanlon, T. (1982), Contractualism and Utilitarianism, in: Sen, A. and Williams, B., eds., Utilitarianism and Beyond, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Schelling, T.C. (1960), The Strategy of Conflict, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Schokkaert, E., and Van Ootegem, L. (1990), Sen’s Concept of Living Standard Applied to the Belgian Unemployed, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 , pp. 429–50.Google Scholar
Seidl, D. (1986), Poverty Measurement: A survey, in: Bos, L.D., et al. (1986)Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1970a), Collective Choice and Social Welfare, San Francisco, Holden-Day; republished, Amsterdam, North Holland.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1970b), Impossibility of a Paretian Liberal, Journal of Political Economy, vol. 72; reprinted in: Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1970c), Interpersonal Aggregation and Partial Comparability, Econometrica, vol. 38; reprinted in: Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1973), On Economic Inequality, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1974), Information Bases of Alternative Welfare Approaches: Aggregation and Income Distribution, Journal of Public Economics, vol. 3, pp. 387–403.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1976a), Poverty: An Ordinal Approach to Measurement, Econometrica, vol. 46, pp. 219–32; reprinted in Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1976b), Real National Income, Review of Economic Studies, vol. 43; reprinted in: Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1976c), Liberty, Unanimity and Rights, Economica, vol. 43; reprinted in : Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1977a), Social Choice Theory: A Re-examination, Econometrica, vol. 45; reprinted in: Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1977b), On Weights and Measures: Informational Constraints in Social Welfare Analysis, Econometrica, vol. 45, pp. 1539–72; reprinted in Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1977c), Rational Fools: A Critique of the Behavioural Foundations of Economic Theory, Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 6; reprinted in Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1979a), Personal Utilities and Public Judgements: Or what’s wrong with Welfare Economics?, Economic Journal, vol. 89; reprinted in Sen, (1982a).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1979b), Utilitarianism and Welfarism, Journal of Philosophy, vol. 76, pp. 463–89.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1980), Equality of what? in: McMurrin, , (ed.) (1980); reprinted in Sen, (1982a), and in Rawls, et al. (1987).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1981) Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation, Oxford, Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1982a), Choice, Welfare and Measurement, Oxford, Blackwell, and Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1982b), Rights and agency, Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 11.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1982c), Liberty as Control : An Appraisal, Midwest Studies in Philosophy, vol. 7.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1983a), Liberty and Social Choice, Journal of Philosophy, vol. 80.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1983b), Evaluator Relativity and Consequential Evaluation, Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 12.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1983c), Poor, Relatively Speaking, Oxford Economic Papers, vol. 35, pp. 135–69.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1984), Resources, Values and Development, Oxford, Blackwell, and Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1985a), Well-being, agency and freedom : The Dewey Lectures 1984, Journal of Philosophy, vol. 82.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1985b), Commodities and Capabilities, Amsterdam, North Holland.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1987a), On Ethics and Economics, Oxford, Blackwell.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1987b), The Standard of Living, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, with contributions by Hart, Kanbur Muellbauer and Williams, edited by Hawthorn, G..Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1988), Freedom of Choice : Concept and Content, European Economic Review, vol. 32.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1989), Gender and Cooperative Conflict, in: Tinker, I. (ed.), Persistent Inequalities, New York, Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1990a), Inequality and Freedom, to be published by Oxford, Clarendon Press, and New York, Russell Sage Foundation.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1990b), Capability and Well-being, forthcoming in : Nussbaum, and Sen, (1990).Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1990c), Justice: Means Versus Freedoms, Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 19, pp. 111–21.Google Scholar
Sen, A.K. (1990d), Welfare, Preference and Freedom, Journal of Econometrics, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Steiner, H. (1990), Putting Rights in their Place, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n’ 3-4 , pp. 391–408.Google Scholar
Suzumura, K. (1983), Rational Choice, Collective Decisions and Social Welfare, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Takayama, N. (1979), Poverty, Income Inequality and their Measures: Professor Sen’s Axiomatic Approach Reconsidered, Econometrica, vol. 47.Google Scholar
Thon, D. (1979), On Measuring Poverty, Review of Income and Wealth, vol. 25, pp. 429–40.Google Scholar
van Parijs, P. (1989), On the Ethical Foundation of Basic Income, Université Catholique de Louvain: Institut Supérieur de Philosophie.Google Scholar
van Parijs, P. (1990a), The Second Marriage of Justice and Efficiency, Journal of Social Policy, vol. 19.Google Scholar
van Parijs, P. (1990b), Equal Endowments as Undominated Diversity, Recherches Economiques de Louvain, vol. 56 n° 3-4 , pp. 327–55.Google Scholar
Varian, H. R. (1974), Equity, Envy and Efficiency, Journal of Economic Theory, vol. 9.Google Scholar
Williams, B. (1973), A Critique of Utilitarianism, in: Smart, J.J.C. and Williams, B., Utilitarianism : For and Against, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Williams, B. (1981), Moral Luck, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Williams, B. (1987), Comment, in: Sen, (1987b).Google Scholar
Wriglesworth, J. (1985), Libertarian Conflicts in Social Choice, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar