How to Read Amartya Sen

Watch Here

The Ashoka Economics Society invites you to a session with Dr. Lawrence Hamilton. He will be in conversation with our very own Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, about his most recent book How to Read Amartya Sen.

The book is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive introduction to Amartya Sen’s philosophy and covers all the important aspects of Sen’s philosophical vision: choice, capability, freedom, justice, and democracy. Lawrence Hamilton provides an excellent, accessible guide to the full range of Sen’s writings, contextualizing his ideas and summarizing the associated debates.

In elegant prose, Hamilton reconstructs Sen's critiques of the major philosophies of his time, assesses his now-famous concern for capabilities as an alternative for thinking about poverty, inequality, gender discrimination, development, democracy and justice, and unearths some overlooked gems. Throughout, these major theoretical and philosophical achievements are subjected to rigorous scrutiny. How to Read Amartya Sen is a major work on one of the most influential economists and philosophers of the last few centuries. It will be illuminating for readers keen to understand the breadth of Sen's vision, and an invaluable resource for scholars, policymakers, and global activists.

About the author: Lawrence Hamilton is a professor of Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the SARChI/Newton Research Professor in Political Theory, University of Cambridge and Wits.