Sen’s Economics in The Idea of Justice: Induction vs Deduction

In The Idea of Justice, Amartya Sen revealingly differentiates his capability approach from the mainstream in terms of structure: comparative vis-a-vis transcendental. Instead of constructing models based on fundamental principles and questing for perfection, Sen seeks to compare feasible options and to choose one from among them. What lies behind this strategy is respect for a plurality of values and reasoning in society. In this context, description plays a key role in this approach, given that plural values and reasoning can be reflected only in an inductive manner which requires rich description. The purpose of this article is to examine how Sen’s approach is related to the Cambridge tradition, which typically embraces inductive methods of reasoning, with a particular focus on the influence of Maurice Dobb. In relation to this, some possible extensions of his approach will be discussed.