From ‘Hume's Law’ to Problem- and Policy-Analysis for Human Development. Sen after Dewey, Myrdal, Streeten, Stretton and Haq

Abstract

Much of Amartya Sen's work has been policy-related, but his methodology of policy analysis has not been explained in detail. Action-related social science involves value-imbued procedures that guide choices. This theme was explored by Streeten and Stretton, and earlier by Dewey and Myrdal. Assisted by Jean Drèze, Sen has evolved a form of policy analysis guided by humanist values rather than those of mainstream economics. Features of this methodology include the following: (1) a wider range of values employed in valuation, with central attention on: how do and can people live?; (2) conceptual investigation of the wider range of values; (3) use of the wider range of values to guide choice of topics and boundaries of analysis; (4) a focus on human realities, not an arbitrary slice of reality selected according to commercial significance and convenience for measurement; (5) using a wider range of values to guide other decisions in analysis; thus, there is a focus on the socio-economic significance of the result; and (6) a matching focus on a wide range of potential policy means. This paper characterizes Sen's policy analysis methodology, its roots in earlier work, and its relations to the UNDP Human Development approach and kindred approaches.