The international agenda on poverty, freedom and human rights has become increasingly influential in recent years. Mrs. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has stated that "Ip]overty itself is a violation of numerous basic human rights" (1997,6), while the UNDP's Human Development Report 2000 conveys the central message that poverty is a limit on individual freedom, and that freedom from poverty should be addressed as a basic entitlement and a human right (UNDP, 2000). But what do people mean when they say that poverty is a denial or a violation of fundamental human freedoms and basic human rights? This Thesis addresses the need for a robust theoretical framework for thinking about this question. Its aim is to expand basic knowledge and understanding in the field of poverty and human rights by contributing to interdisciplinary dialogue and conceptual development. The Thesis is cross-disciplinary in scope and bridges the perspectives of ethics, economics and international law. It establishes the basis of international legal obligation in the field of poverty and human rights; considers the nature and scope of relevant debates in ethics and political theory; and analyses the significance of Professor Amartya Sen's research agenda in ethics and economics for both conceptual and formal thinking about poverty, fundamental freedoms and basic human rights. The use of deontic logic to capture and formalise statements about poverty, freedom and human rights is assessed. The Thesis concludes with a proposal for a rights-based extension of Sen's capability approach based on authoritative international standards in the field of poverty and human rights. This proposal is mapped out both as a means of integrating the different disciplinary perspectives and as a suggestion for future research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:251748 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Vizard, Polly |
| Publisher | London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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