Note: this interview was broadcast Jan. 21 at 10:30 pm on WGBH.
To read a review of this program, click here:
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, the distinguished economist, philosopher, Nobel laureate and Harvard professor, talks with ThoughtCast about “Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny.”
This new book examines the unfortunate connection between violence and our tendency to identify with one key trait — our ethnicity, or religion, for example — to the exclusion of all others. Sen argues that we can combat this tendency by rejecting this narrowly defined, limited sense of identity, and embracing a broader, richer and more complex understanding of ourselves.
Amartya Sen was born in West Bengal, India (now Bangladesh) and teaches economics at Harvard University. He is known in the wider world for his work on the causes of famines.
Note: Susan Wennemyr served as associate producer on this program.
To listen to a panel on “Combating Global Poverty” that includes Sen, click here to access WGBH’s Forum Network.
November 29th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
The interview with Amartya Sen was an informed and thought provoking discussion. The idea that ’should’ is the key word in relation to ethics I found to be revelational and challenging as far as human behaviour is concerned. Mr Sen spoke with hope that the human condition can free itself from the chains of economic enslavement and overcome that which divides us. A pragmatic open-minded discussion which all of our political masters would be served by listening to. i look forward to future programs.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Thanks for dropping by The Sound Palette! All the best.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:44 am
[…] Economist Amartya Sen on “Identity and Violence” - his new book […]
September 15th, 2007 at 3:24 am
The multiple identity an individual or civilisation carries is undeniable but that does not contradict the underlying theme of what Huntington has propounded so brilliantly. Will Sen kindly inform as to why the Hindu and Buddhist minorities have been declining in number rapidly in his native Bengal now called Bangladesh — an Islamic country for all practical purposes — 29% at partition in 1947 to 8% currently. Can he tell us as to why that part of Asia, which was one of the cradles of Indian/Bengal Renaissance and an important theatre of indian freedom movememt has turned into a hotbed of Jihadi terrorsim? If he could tell us how many roads of Dhaka, where he was born, has roads named after Poet Tagore? Only if he can kindly answer these simple questions, I might ask him more on as to why and how one identity submerges the previous ones ?