Amartya Kumar Sen (1933– ) is an Indian economist, mathematician, and philosopher, who is primarily known for his theoretical work on ethical aspects of economics. Together with Martha Nussbaum, he developed the so-called capabilities [Page 3053]approach. He also established a respectable reputation with his work on poverty relief and the solution of world famine, as well as his role as advisor to international bodies such as the United Nations Development Programme. In 1998, he received the Nobel Prize in economics both for his theoretical and his applied work.

Sen was born in the state of West Bengal in 1933 and studied at the Delhi School of Economics. In the course of his academic career, he was associated with prestigious universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. ...