So, why a prize in political science too? In Sen’s works, democracy and its potential to make a difference – through regular elections that reward and punish and through the public arena of constant discussion and opinion-shaping – is fundamental.Īmartya Sen is awarded the Johan Skytte Prize for his multifaceted achievement that “combines insights into human vulnerability with knowledge about the potential of democratic political power to redress and relieve this deprivation.” The Johan Skytte Prize has become known as the “Nobel Prize of Political Science.” Amartya Sen, who is an economist and philosopher, has already received the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (1998). The prize is given by the Johan Skytte Foundation, whose roots go back to Johan Skytte (1577-1645), High Councilor of the Swedish Realm. The Johan Skytte Prize is being awarded this year for the 23rd consecutive year. So, why a prize in political science too? In Sen’s works, democracy and its potential to make a difference – through regular elections that reward and punish and through the public arena of constant discussion and opinion-shaping – is fundamental. Amartya Sen is awarded the Johan Skytte Prize for his multifaceted achievement that “combines insights into human vulnerability with knowledge about the potential of democratic political power to redress and relieve this deprivation.” For when a famine occurs, it always hits the poorest people hardest. Only when political power is dependent upon the entire population and not exclusively on the affluent elites – when a democratic government is established – does deprivation come up on the political agenda and become the target of systematic political reforms to reduce it.Īmartya Sen thus sheds light on the critical importance of democracy and the human cost of inequality.
In his book Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation (1981) Amartya Sen, recipient of this year’s Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science, illustrates the connection between starvation and lack of democracy. While the text is usually featured in Swedish, we now offer you an English translation. By Li Bennich-Björkman, Johan Skytte Professor in Eloquence and Political Science at Uppsala University and Chair of the Skytte Prize Committee.Īs per custom, the winner of the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science is announced on the pages of a Swedish daily newspaper, Svenska Dagbladet, penned by the sitting Johan Skytte Professor in Political Science.
0 kommentar(er)
