Amartya Sen

Date of Birth: November 3, 1933

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Biography

Amartya Sen is an Indian economist and philosopher, renowned for his contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, economic and social justice, and the measurement of poverty and inequality. Born in Santiniketan, India, Sen has had a prolific academic career, holding prestigious positions at universities such as Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. He was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 for his work on welfare economics. Sen’s groundbreaking work has influenced global policy and academic thought, particularly his development of the Human Development Index (HDI) in collaboration with Mahbub ul Haq. Sen’s early education was at the University of Calcutta, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He then went on to Trinity College, Cambridge, to pursue his Ph.D. in Economics. Throughout his career, Sen has been a vocal advocate for addressing economic disparities and promoting social justice. His seminal works include “Poverty and Famines” (1981), “Development as Freedom” (1999), and “The Idea of Justice” (2009). He has also contributed extensively to the fields of ethics and political philosophy.

5 Interesting Facts about Amartya Sen

1. Amartya Sen is often referred to as the “conscience of the profession” in economics due to his focus on ethical issues and human welfare.

2. He was the first Asian to head an Oxbridge college when he became the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1998.

3. Sen developed the “capability approach,” which assesses human well-being based on individuals’ capabilities to achieve the kind of lives they value.

4. He was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999.

5. Sen’s work on famines demonstrated that they are often caused by inequalities in the mechanisms for distributing food rather than by a lack of food production.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Amartya Sen

1. “Poverty is not just a lack of money; it is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential as a human being.”

2. “Development is about transforming the lives of people, not just transforming economies.”

3. “Human development, as an approach, is concerned with what I take to be the basic development idea: namely, advancing the richness of human life, rather than the richness of the economy in which human beings live.”

4. “The success of a society is to be evaluated primarily by the freedoms that members of the society enjoy.”

5. “A society’s progress can be judged by the extent of freedoms its members enjoy.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

While exact figures are not publicly available, Amartya Sen’s highest net worth is estimated to be around $10 million, primarily accrued from his academic positions, publications, and awards.

Children

Amartya Sen has four children. He has two daughters with his first wife, Nabaneeta Dev Sen: Antara Dev Sen, a journalist and writer, and Nandana Sen, an actress, screenwriter, and author. With his second wife, Eva Colorni, he has two children: a son, Kabir, and a daughter, Indrani.