Philosophical Approaches to Poverty, Inequality and the Idea of Wellbeing

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One. Ideas of Justice in a Liberal Framework

1.1 Explaining Rawls

1.2 Sen's Criticism of Rawls

1.3 Sen's Critique toward Ideal Theory

Chapter Two. Measuring Poverty, Inequality and Wellbeing in a Liberal Framework

2.1 Principles of Justice; First Principle

2.2 Principles of Justice; Problems arising from the Second Principle about Inequality and Poverty

2.3 The Difference Principle

2.4 The Primary Good Index and The Capability Approach

2.5 Valuing freedom

2.6 Evaluating Poverty and Well- Being in the Capitalist Economic System

Chapter Three. Capitalism, Freedom, and Democracy

3.1 Sen and Rawls on Capitalism

3.2 Final Thoughts on Capitalism

3.3 Final Remarks on Sen's and Rawls' approaches in relation to Capitalism

Conclusion

Research Objectives and Themes

The primary objective of this work is to evaluate and compare the theories of John Rawls and Amartya Sen regarding poverty, inequality, and wellbeing within capitalist frameworks. The author seeks to determine how these philosophical approaches can be utilized to address systemic inequalities and improve the measurement of human wellbeing, ultimately proposing that neither theory is sufficient on its own within a capitalist economic system.

• Critique of Rawls' "Theory of Justice" and the concept of the original position.
• Evaluation of Sen's capability approach as a superior metric to primary goods for assessing quality of life.
• Analysis of the relationship between capitalism, wage-labor, and systemic poverty.
• Exploration of worker self-management as a potential alternative to current capitalist production models.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Introduction: Provides an overview of the rising levels of income inequality and poverty within OECD countries, establishing the necessity of the thesis.

Chapter One. Ideas of Justice in a Liberal Framework: Critically examines John Rawls' theory of justice as fairness, focusing on the original position and the veil of ignorance, while highlighting Sen’s objections regarding unanimous agreement and ideal theory.

Chapter Two. Measuring Poverty, Inequality and Wellbeing in a Liberal Framework: Discusses Rawls' principles of justice, the Difference Principle, and compares the primary goods metric against Sen’s capability approach for evaluating individual wellbeing.

Chapter Three. Capitalism, Freedom, and Democracy: Analyzes the compatibility of property-owning democracy with capitalism and explores alternative models like worker-managed firms as means to achieve real freedom and justice.

Conclusion: Summarizes the key arguments and suggests that while Sen's capability approach offers a stronger foundation, it must be integrated with alternative economic models to effectively overcome systemic poverty.

Keywords

Poverty, Inequality, Wellbeing, Capitalism, John Rawls, Amartya Sen, Capability Approach, Primary Goods, Original Position, Wage-Labor, Democracy, Social Justice, Economic Policy, Property-Owning Democracy, Worker Self-Management

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core subject of this thesis?

The thesis explores the philosophical and political economic approaches to understanding and mitigating poverty and inequality within modern capitalist societies, specifically comparing the theories of John Rawls and Amartya Sen.

What are the primary themes discussed?

Central themes include the limitations of resource-based metrics for wellbeing, the role of institutions in maintaining inequality, the distinction between formal and substantive freedom, and the potential for alternative economic systems.

What is the author's primary research goal?

The author aims to show how philosophical frameworks can contribute to stopping extreme poverty and inequality by suggesting more sensitive ways to measure wellbeing and evaluate the structural impacts of capitalism.

Which scientific methods does the author employ?

The author uses a comparative analytical methodology, evaluating the political-philosophical theories of Rawls and Sen against empirical data from sources like the OECD and Oxfam to assess their practical applicability.

What is covered in the main body of the work?

The main body deconstructs the concepts of justice, the original position, the difference principle, and the capability approach, before applying these critiques to analyze how capitalist production models perpetuate systemic inequality.

Which keywords define this work?

Key terms include Poverty, Inequality, Capability Approach, Property-Owning Democracy, and Capitalism.

What are the main criticisms raised against Rawls?

The author criticizes Rawls for relying on ideal theory, assuming a unanimous agreement that is empirically unreachable, and failing to provide practical solutions for individuals living under non-ideal, oppressive economic conditions.

How does the author evaluate Sen's approach?

While the author finds Sen's capability approach superior to Rawls' primary goods metric for evaluating actual human life, the author also critiques Sen for not pushing his analysis far enough to fundamentally challenge the exploitative nature of capitalism.