Development and freedom in Amartya Sen and Gustavo Gutiérrez. Religious and Secular Common Grounds

Se supone a veces que quienes basan su visión del mundo en su fe religiosa y quienes lo miran desde la perspectiva de las ciencias sociales difícilmente encontrarán un terreno común y profundo de diálogo. En este trabajo comparamos los planteamientos de Amartya Sen y de Gustavo Gutiérrez sobre el significado del desarrollo y de la libertad para mostrar que hay un amplio campo de interacción ABSTRACT It is often supposed that those who base their view of the world upon perceived religious truth and those who do not will be unable to engage in deep and mutual conversation, for their basic assumptions are just too different. In this paper I compare the views of Amartya Sen and Gustavo Gutiérrez on development and human freedom, finding them to share a very great deal in attitude, in fundamental concern, and in intellectual method, even though the former describes himself as without religion, while the latter is profoundly theological. This comparison is of interest and importance both in its own right and as an example of the way the theologically – minded can meaningfully converse with those who are not; more than converse, establish a common project or program.