Author Description

A self-contained introduction to the field of ethics and development, this book asks what is good `development`, of societies and for people. It looks at how equating development with economic growth has been challenged—examining who benefits from this growth; and which aspects of life are valued by this growth. It goes on to explore an alternative concept—that of `human development`, meaning achievement with respect to a wider range of values and the advancement of people`s freedom to achieve well-reasoned values. The author provides pertinent case studies on famine, health and drugs supply, colonialism, land alienation and land reform, international debt, structural adjustment and civil war. This book brings together ideas from philosophy, economics and social theory, building in particular on the work of Len Doyal, Ian Gough, Martha Nussbaum and Amartya Sen.