Ethics of Global Development: Agency, Capability, and Deliberative Democracy

432 Pages·2008·10.91 MB·English

by  David A. Crocker

This page intentionally left blank
Ethics of Global Development
Poverty, inequality, violence, environmental degradation, and tyranny
continue to afflict the world. Ethics of Global Development offers moral
reflectionontheendsandmeansoflocal,national,andglobaleffortsto
overcome these five scourges. After emphasizing the role of ethics in
development studies, policymaking, and practice, David A. Crocker
analyzes and evaluates Amartya Sen’s philosophy of development in
relationtoalternativeethicaloutlooks.HearguesthatSen’srecentturn
to robust ideals of human agency and democracy improves on both
Sen’s earlier emphasis on “capabilities and functionings” and Martha
Nussbaum’sversionofthecapabilityorientation.Thisagency-focused
capabilityapproachisthenextendedandstrengthenedbyapplyingitto
thechallengesofconsumerismandhunger,thedevelopmentresponsi-
bilitiesofaffluentindividualsandnations,andthedilemmasofgloba-
lization.Throughoutthebooktheauthorarguesfortheimportanceof
moreinclusiveanddeliberativedemocraticinstitutions.
David A. Crocker is Senior Research Scholar at the Institute for
Philosophy and Public Policy and the School of Public Policy at the
University of Maryland. He is an officer of the Human Development
and Capability Association, and was founder and former president
oftheInternationalDevelopmentEthicsAssociation(IDEA).

Ethics of Global Development
Agency, Capability, and Deliberative Democracy
David A. Crocker
CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITYPRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB28RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521885195
© David A. Crocker 2008
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2008
ISBN-13 978-0-511-41411-4 eBook (EBL)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-88519-5 hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls
for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
To Cathy, Amanda, and Davey
Anna, Julia, and Luke
Philosophyrecoversitselfwhenitceasestobeadevicefordealingwith
the problems of philosophers and becomes a method, cultivated by
philosophers,fordealingwiththeproblemsofmen.
JohnDewey,“TheNeedforRecoveryofPhilosophy,”1917
In terms of the medieval distinction between “the patient” and “the
agent,” this freedom-centered understanding of economics and of the
process of development is very much an agent-oriented view. With
adequate social opportunities, individuals can effectively shape their
own destiny and help each other. They need not be seen primarily as
passive recipients of the benefits of cunning development programs.
There is indeed a strong rationale for recognizing the positive role of
freeandsustainableagency–andevenofconstructiveimpatience.
AmartyaSen,DevelopmentasFreedom,1999
There are, we have argued, rich lessons here [in the “developmental
challenges faced in India”], which cannot be seized without taking
interest in the ends and means of development in general and in the
intrinsicvalue,constructiveroleandinstrumentalimportanceofpublic
participationinparticular.Thebasicapproachinvolvesanoverarching
interestintheroleofhumanbeings–ontheirownandincooperation
witheachother–inrunningtheirownlivesandinusingandexpanding
theirfreedoms.
JeanDre`zeandAmartyaSen,
India:DevelopmentandParticipation,2ndedn.,2002
Contents
List of figures page ix
Acknowled gments x
1 Introd uction 1
Part I: Devel opm ent ethics 33
2 Agree ments, contro versies, and challe nges 35
3 Ethics and deve lopme nt theory-pr actice 67
Part II: The capab ility ap proach:
ethical foundati ons 107
4 Criti que of alternati ves 109
5 Agency, func tioning, and capabil ity 150
6 Eval uating capabil ities and func tionings 185
Part III: Stre ngthen ing and applying the
capabi lity ap proach 215
7 Agency, res ponsibil ity, and consumpt ion 217
8 Hunge r, capabilit y, and agenc y-orient ed
developm ent 255
Part IV: Deli berative democ racy, part icipatio n,
and globaliz ation 295
9 The capabil ity app roach and deliberati ve dem ocracy 297
vii
viii Contents
10 De liberativ e particip ation in local deve lopment 338
11 De velopment ethics, democra cy, and globa lization 375
Index of na mes 403
Index of su bjects 407