The Ethics of Development

A self-contained introduction to the field of ethics and development for students, practitioners and the general reader.The Ethics of Development asks what is good ‘development’, of societies and for people. It looks at how equating development with economic growth has been challenged, examining whom that growth benefits or harms and which aspects of life it values or excludes and can favour or damage. It goes on to explore an alternative conception – 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 book synthesises ideas from philosophy, economics and social theory, building in particular on the work of Len Doyal, Ian Gough, Martha Nussbaum and Amartya Sen. Dealing carefully and sympathetically with a range of viewpoints, it elucidates complex issues with the help of historical and contemporary examples. It caters especially to students in development studies, anthropology, economics, philosophy, political science and social policy.Key Features:*Provides case studies on famine, health and drugs supply, colonialism, land alienation and land reform, international debt, structural adjustment and civil war*Places emphasis on probing and clarifying the meanings and uses of key concepts including ‘development’, ‘efficiency’, ‘effectiveness’, ‘equity’, ‘violence’, ‘needs’, ‘freedom’, ‘choices’, ‘culture’ and ‘community’*Includes easy-to-grasp tables and figures, discussion questions and suggestions for further reading

Des Gasper is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, a centre of development studies where he is currently Dean of teaching. He is co-author (with Raymond Apthorpe) of Arguing Development Policy (Frank Cass, 1996).