Capabilities for the Miserable; Happiness for the Satisfied

Arbeitspapier

The aim of this paper is to explain the process of diversification of normative economics by presenting the work of two authors: Tibor Scitovsky [1910-2002] and Amartya Sen [1933-]. While these two authors first contributed to traditional welfare analysis from within, they were subsequently involved in the development of two different, and even opposed, programs: the economics of happiness and the capability approach. They focused on different concepts of well-being: the "joy" of satisfied consumers for Scitovsky, and the "capabilities" of deprived individuals for Sen. In imposing new theoretical frameworks, applications, as well as new concepts of well-being, which are measureable, the capability approach and the economics of happiness represent two major attempts to renew normative economic analysis.

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• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CHOPE Working Paper ; No. 2011-05

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; History of Economic Thought since 1925: General ; History of Economic Thought: Individuals ; Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: General
• Subject: capabilities ; happiness ; Tibor Scitovsky ; Amartya Sen ; welfare economics

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Edwards, José M. ; Pellé, Sophie
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Duke University, Center for the History of Political Economy (CHOPE)
• (where): Durham, NC
• (when): 2011

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/149681