We should focus, not on efficiency or utility or procedural justice or rights, but on the substantive economic, social, and political freedoms that enhance the lives individuals are able to lead. While markets have many merits, they should not be worshipped blindly as providing the solutions to every problem. He reminds us, in particular, that our field was not always a narrow inquiry into economic efficiency and that the original subject matter of economics was the opportunity for individuals to lead good and fulfilling lives. One of the reasons why Sen is so readable and influential is that he reminds us of insights from the tradition of classical political economy that most economists have long forgotten. Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (New York: Knopf, 2000), 366 pp. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:
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