Poverty Measurement and Theories of Beneficence
Published By: UNU-WIDER on eSS | Published Date: November, 19 , 2005This note points to certain similarities of orientation and outcome between Derek
Parfit’s quest for a theory of beneficence and Amartya Sen’s quest for a suitable real-
valued representation of poverty. It suggests that both projects, in a certain sense, have
been instructive failures. Using Sen’s own work, the note also suggests a logically
natural way of dealing with some of the problems in poverty measurement reviewed in
it—but only to reject this way out on other compelling grounds. [Research Paper No. 2005/62]
Author(s): Subramanian S | Posted on: Jan 19, 2011 | Views(690) | Download (89)