In Chapter 2 of Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen, the author takes a deep dive into the goals and mechanisms of development. The chapter begins by contrasting two common opposing views of the development process. The “I win, you lose” approach – highly competitive markets where the strong win through the expenditure of blood, sweat, and tears. This contrasts with a “win-win” model where development results from mutually beneficial transactions. Adam Smith described the later form of markets (I added The Wealth of Nations to my to-read list for 2025). The latter approach is conducive to leveraging ’ supportive activities such as social safety nets, political liberties, and social development. While probably not perfect, the comparison is between a laissez-faire and a managed market approach to development. The comparison is useful because it allows us to consider the clash between highly libertarian and more collective points of view on development and behavior. 

Sen sees “development as a process of expanding the real (human) freedoms that people enjoy.” This definition leads to a need to find a practical approach to measuring and assessing freedoms. This isn’t an esoteric discussion, how freedoms are measured impacts the importance of individual freedoms. For example, a focus on income often eclipses the assessment of the freedoms that generate capabilities (education, health care, and access to name a few). 

Sen describes five freedoms (I would have called them categories of freedoms) instrumental in promoting human freedom. This suggests a hierarchy of freedoms (akin to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). The five instrumental freedoms form the base on which others build. The five are: (1) political freedoms, (2) economic facilities, (3) social opportunities, (4) transparency guarantees and (5) protective security. These are a base upon which capabilities and other freedoms — again we can mentally picture a hierarchy. 

The five categories of freedom enhance the capabilities of people. They complement and support each other (consider a Venn Diagram with all the circles overlapping to a greater or lesser extent.  For example, social opportunities provide the opportunity to grow your relationships which in turn influence your capability for development. However, with protective security social opportunities are constrained.  If we view this example at a micro level; that of a software team member. Many organizations restrict coders’ and testers’ access from interacting with stakeholders. This limits social opportunities and transparency. The prohibition reduces security so that attempts to communicate are dangerous to career development.

While Sen focuses on the macroeconomic view, the relationships between freedoms, capabilities, and development should be kept in mind as organizational policies and structures are built and adjusted. 

Next, Chapter 3 tackles Freedom and the Foundations of Justice.

Previous installments of Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen:

Week 1: Context and Logistics

Week 2: Introduction and Preface

Week 3: The Perspective of Freedom