Ethics of Global Development
Agency, Capability, and Deliberative Democracy

An analysis and evaluation of Amartya Sen's 'capability approach' to development ethics.

David A. Crocker (Author)

9780521117388, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 July 2009

432 pages, 2 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.63 kg

'This book is a testimony to the coming of age of development ethics as a separate subfield at the crossroads of ethics and the social sciences - in particular, development studies. David Crocker provides [an] historical sketch of the emergence and growth of development ethics over the last decades, and also revisits some of his own earlier work in the field to add newer analyses, extensions, and reflections. The result is Crocker's theory of the ethics of development, which is based on an agency-focused version of the capability approach, enriched by insights from the theory of deliberative democracy … Overall, Ethics of Global Development is a highly readable, informative book that draws much of its strength from Crocker's long career in development ethics, including his work in such organizations as the International Development Ethics Association (IDEA), and his profound knowledge of a long period of disciplinary and interdisciplinary debates. … This book is highly recommended to anyone who wants to know what development ethics has to offer, or who wants to engage with arguments on the role of the capability approach and the ideas of deliberative democracy in development ethics. Crocker's lucid writing style and his long experience in the field make this not just an important contribution to the scholarly literature on development ethics, but also excellent for teaching purposes.' Ethics and International Affairs

Poverty, inequality, violence, environmental degradation, and tyranny continue to afflict the world. Ethics of Global Development offers a moral reflection on the ends and means of local, national, and global efforts to overcome these five scourges. After emphasizing the role of ethics in development studies, policy-making, and practice, David A. Crocker analyzes and evaluates Amartya Sen's philosophy of development in relation to alternative ethical outlooks. He argues that Sen's turn to robust ideals of human agency and democracy improves on both Sen's earlier emphasis on 'capabilities and functionings' and Martha Nussbaum's version of the capability orientation. This agency-focused capability approach is then extended and strengthened by applying it to the challenges of consumerism and hunger, the development responsibilities of affluent individuals and nations, and the dilemmas of globalization. Throughout the book the author argues for the importance of more inclusive and deliberative democratic institutions.

List of figures
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
Part I. Development Ethics: 2. Agreements, controversies and challenges
3. Ethics and development theory-practice
Part II. The Capability Approach: Ethical Foundations: 4. Critique of alternatives
5. Agency, functioning and capability
6. Evaluating capabilities an functionings
Part III. Strengthening and Applying the Capability Approach: 7. Agency, responsibility and consumption
8. Hunger, capability and agency-oriented development
Part IV. Deliberative Democracy, Participation and Globalization: 9. The capability approach and deliberative democracy
10. Deliberative participation and local development
11. Development ethics, democracy and globalization
Index of names
Index of subjects.

Subject Areas: Development economics & emerging economies [KCM], Economic growth [KCG], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Development studies [GTF]