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‘Happy slaves’?: the adaptation problem and identity politics in the writings of Amartya Sen

Burns, Tony

Authors

Tony Burns



Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between Amartya Sen’s notion of adaptation and his views on identity politics by focusing on the issue of slavery and, more specifically, on the example of the happy or contented slave. The methodological approach adopted is that of conceptual analysis, as is typical for work of this kind. The paper concludes that the example of the happy or contented slave is indeed a fruitful one for those interested in exploring the relationship between Sen’s views on ‘the adaptation problem’ and his views on identity politics, especially in relation to the subjection of women. Here Sen’s debt to the ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill is particularly important. One implication of the argument of the paper is that there is a need to consider more carefully the differences that exist between the views of Wollstonecraft and Mill, so far as the example of the happy or contented slave is concerned. One practical implication of the paper is that, hopefully, it establishes the continued relevance of the ideas of thinkers such as Wollstonecraft and Mill today, not least because of the influence that they have had on theoreticians such as Amartya Sen. The paper addresses issues which are of considerable social and political significance, especially for women in underdeveloped societies today. The example of the happy or contented slave has not received much discussion in the literature on Sen, although Sen himself has suggested that the distinction between happiness and contentment is an important one, which does merit further discussion.

Citation

Burns, T. (2016). ‘Happy slaves’?: the adaptation problem and identity politics in the writings of Amartya Sen. International Journal of Social Economics, 43(12), 1178-1193. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-09-2015-0232

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 9, 2016
Publication Date Nov 30, 2016
Deposit Date Sep 12, 2016
Publicly Available Date Dec 1, 2018
Journal International Journal of Social Economics
Print ISSN 0306-8293
Electronic ISSN 0306-8293
Publisher Emerald
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 43
Issue 12
Pages 1178-1193
DOI https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-09-2015-0232
Keywords Amartya Sen, Adaptation Problem, Identity Politics, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Benthamite utilitarianism
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/826107
Publisher URL http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/IJSE-09-2015-0232
Additional Information Precise date of publication is estimated.
Contract Date Sep 12, 2016

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