how to define succes

Core idea - Amartya Sen argues that development should be judged by the real freedoms people have to lead the kinds of lives they value. “Development as freedom” treats expansion of substantive opportunities (capabilities) as both the primary end and the principal means of development. (Sen, Development as Freedom, 1999.) Capabilities vs. functionings - Functionings = the various states and activities a person can achieve (being healthy, educated, politically active). - Capabilities = the real, substantive opportunities or freedoms to achieve various combinations of functionings. - Example: Having food (commodity) is not enough; what matters is the capability to be well-nourished (given personal health, local food quality, cooking facilities). Why this matters (contrast with other measures) - Moves beyond income- or utility-based measures: money or happiness levels are only useful insofar as they expand real freedoms. - Focuses on what people are actually able to do and be, not merely on resources or preferences. Key elements - Freedom and agency: People should be active agents in shaping their lives and choices, not merely passive beneficiaries. - Plurality: Recognizes many relevant dimensions of well‑being (health, education, political liberty, social participation). - Conversion factors: Personal (age, disability), social (gender norms), and environmental (climate, infrastructure) factors affect how resources translate into capabilities. - Instrumental and intrinsic value: Freedoms are valuable in themselves and as means to other valuable ends. Policy implications - Development policies should remove “unfreedoms” (poverty, tyranny, lack of public services) and expand substantive opportunities (education, healthcare, political participation). - Assessment requires multidimensional indicators (not just GDP): examples include literacy, life expectancy, political rights, and measures of social inclusion. Critiques and debates (brief) - Operationalization: specifying which capabilities matter and measuring them is difficult (response: procedural/public reasoning; Nussbaum offers a specified list). - Paternalism concerns: who selects valued capabilities? Sen emphasizes public reasoning and democratic deliberation. - Trade-offs and prioritization remain contested. Further reading - Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (1999). - Sen, “Commodities and Capabilities” (1985). - Martha Nussbaum, Creating Capabilities (2011) — complementary account proposing a specified list. - Ingrid Robeyns, “The Capability Approach: a theoretical survey” (2005) — helpful overview.