Development ethics
Encyclopedia
Development Ethics is a field of enquiry that reflects on both the ends and the means of development. It typically takes a normative stance asking and answering questions about the nature of ethically desirable development, what ethics means for achieving development, and discusses various ethical dilemmas that the practice of development has led to. In short its aim is to ensure that value issues are an important part of the discourse of development.
A major focus of the literature is on the "ethics of the means". This involves asking about, not only how to realize the goals of development but also what are ethical limits in their pursuit.
Denis Goulet
, one of the founding fathers of the discipline argued in The Cruel Choice (1971) that Development ethics is useless unless it can be translated into public action. By public action is meant action taken by public authority, as well as actions taken by private agents by having important consequences for the life of the public community. The central question is: How can moral guidelines influence decisions of those who hold power?
Dower, N. (1988) 'What is Development?—A Philosopher's Answer', Centre for Development Studies Occasional Paper Series, 3, Glasgow: University of Glasgow.
Gasper, D. (1994) "Development Ethics: An Emergent Field?" in R. Prendergast and F. Stewart (eds.) Market Forces and World Development, London: Macmillan; New York: St. Martin's Press.
Goulet, D. (1971) The Cruel Choice: A New Concept in the Theory of Development (New York: Athenaeum).
Goulet, D.(1977) The Uncertain Promise: Value Conflicts in Technology Transfer (New York: IDOC/NA).
Goulet, Denis (1996) A New Discipline: Development Ethics, The Kellogg Institute Working Papers - Working Paper #231 - August
Gunatilleke, G., Neelen Tiruchelvam, and Radhika Coomaraswamy (eds.) (1988) Ethical Dilemmas of Development in Asia, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Seers, Dudley (1977) The New Meaning of Development, International Development Review
Key themes
It typically looks at development theories and practice and their relationships with:- social justice
- human rights
- basic needs
A major focus of the literature is on the "ethics of the means". This involves asking about, not only how to realize the goals of development but also what are ethical limits in their pursuit.
Denis Goulet
Denis Goulet
Denis Goulet was a human development theorist and a founder of work on development ethics as an independent field of study. Goulet's definition of Development Ethics is that it is a field that examines the ethical and value questions related to development theory, planning, and practice.Goulet was...
, one of the founding fathers of the discipline argued in The Cruel Choice (1971) that Development ethics is useless unless it can be translated into public action. By public action is meant action taken by public authority, as well as actions taken by private agents by having important consequences for the life of the public community. The central question is: How can moral guidelines influence decisions of those who hold power?
International association
International Development Ethics Association.Readings
Crocker, D.A. (1991) "Toward Development Ethics," World Development 19.Dower, N. (1988) 'What is Development?—A Philosopher's Answer', Centre for Development Studies Occasional Paper Series, 3, Glasgow: University of Glasgow.
Gasper, D. (1994) "Development Ethics: An Emergent Field?" in R. Prendergast and F. Stewart (eds.) Market Forces and World Development, London: Macmillan; New York: St. Martin's Press.
Goulet, D. (1971) The Cruel Choice: A New Concept in the Theory of Development (New York: Athenaeum).
Goulet, D.(1977) The Uncertain Promise: Value Conflicts in Technology Transfer (New York: IDOC/NA).
Goulet, Denis (1996) A New Discipline: Development Ethics, The Kellogg Institute Working Papers - Working Paper #231 - August
Gunatilleke, G., Neelen Tiruchelvam, and Radhika Coomaraswamy (eds.) (1988) Ethical Dilemmas of Development in Asia, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Seers, Dudley (1977) The New Meaning of Development, International Development Review
Prominent development ethicists
- Goulet, DenisDenis GouletDenis Goulet was a human development theorist and a founder of work on development ethics as an independent field of study. Goulet's definition of Development Ethics is that it is a field that examines the ethical and value questions related to development theory, planning, and practice.Goulet was...
- Myrdal, GunnarGunnar MyrdalKarl Gunnar Myrdal was a Swedish Nobel Laureate economist, sociologist, and politician. In 1974, he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Friedrich Hayek for "their pioneering work in the theory of money and economic fluctuations and for their penetrating analysis of the...
- Seers, DudleyDudley SeersDudley Seers was a British economist who specialised in development economics. After his military service with the Royal Navy he taught at Oxford and then worked for various UN institutions...
- Sen, AmartyaAmartya SenAmartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...