The traditional definition of development ethics considers the 'ethical and value questions posed by development theory, planning and practice' (Goulet 1977: 5). The field parallels the traditional question of ethics 'How ought one to live as an individual?' by asking in addition 'How ought a society exist and move into the future?' This interdisciplinary field is well represented by a substantial collection of previously-published articles and papers. The volume illustrates a wide range of academic and practitioner writings on the theories and concepts of development ethics as well as ethical development policy and practice.

    Contents: Introduction; Part I The Field of Development Ethics: History and Agenda: The invention of development, Michael Cowen and Robert Shenton; The West and its others, Bhikhu Parekh; Tasks and methods in development ethics, Denis Goulet; Denis Goulet and the project of development ethics: choices in methodology, focus and organization, Des Gasper. Part II Development and Underdevelopment: Experiences, Meanings and Evaluations: The concept of development, Amartya Sen; Famines, Amartya Sen; Poverty is powerlessness and voicelessness, Deepa Narayan; On the ethics of development planning, Denis Goulet; Development experts: the one-eyed giants, Denis Goulet; Development as practice in a liberal capitalist world, Alan Thomas. Part III Ethical Principles: Needs, Capabilities, Rights: Development and human needs, Manfred Max-Neef; Women's capabilities and social justice, Martha Nussbaum; What is the capability approach? Its core, rationale, partners and dangers, Des Gasper; Development, common foes and shared values, Mozaffar Qizilbash; A deliberative ethic for development: a Nepalese journey from Bourdieu through Kant to Dewey and Habermas, John Cameron and Hemant Ojha; The right to development and its corresponding obligations, David Beetham. Part IV Methodologies: Approaches to evaluation of development interventions: the importance of world and life views, Roland Hoksbergen; The implications and value added of a rights-based approach, Jakob Kirkemann Hansen and Hans-Otto Sano; Human security - national perspectives and global agendas: insights from national human development reports, Richard Jolly and Deepayan Basu Ray; A methodologically pragmatist approach to development ethics, Asunción Lera St Clair. Part V Ethical Development Policy and Practice: Hunger, capability and development, David A. Crocker; Democracy and the right to food, Jean Drèze; How much debt must be cancelled?, Joseph Hanlon; Development, displacement and international ethics, Peter Penz; G

    Biography

    Des Gasper, Dr and Associate Professor, Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Asuncion Lera St. Clair, Dr and Associate Professor, University of Bergen, Norway and Scientific Director of CROP.