Led by Amartya Sen Simulacrum
About this course
Every economic policy rests on an ethical framework, usually unstated. This course makes them explicit: utilitarianism (the basis of welfare economics), Rawlsian justice (the veil of ignorance and the difference principle), Nozick's libertarianism (entitlement theory and the minimal state), and Sen's capability approach (what people can actually do and be).
Led by Amartya Sen Simulacrum — with Robert Nozick Simulacrum as the libertarian interlocutor.
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Led by Amartya Sen Simulacrum
The question
A high-speed rail link: £4bn in benefits, £7bn in costs. The Kaldor-Hicks criterion says go ahead if winners could compensate losers. What does cost-benefit analysis measure well — and what does it systematically fail to measure?
Outcome
The student can apply utilitarian welfare economics, the Pareto criterion, and Kaldor-Hicks, and state Sen's critique.
Sub-units
Led by Amartya Sen Simulacrum
The question
CEO pay rose from 20× to 350× median worker pay between 1965 and 2022. Apply the difference principle: under what conditions is this inequality just — and what evidence would you need?
Outcome
The student can explain the veil of ignorance, state the two Rawlsian principles, and apply them to real inequalities.
Sub-units
Led by Amartya Sen Simulacrum
The question
Nozick: taxation for redistribution is equivalent to forced labour. Identify the strongest objection — from a Rawlsian, a utilitarian, and Sen's capability perspective. Which is most compelling?
Outcome
The student can state the entitlement theory, apply the Wilt Chamberlain argument, and evaluate libertarianism against alternatives.
Sub-units
Led by Amartya Sen Simulacrum
The question
Should university education be free? Apply utilitarianism, the difference principle, Nozick's entitlement theory, and Sen's capability approach. Where do they agree — and where do they conflict?
Outcome
The student can explain the capability approach, apply all four ethical frameworks, and evaluate them as bases for policy.
Sub-units