Amartya Sen is a significant figure in the fields of economics, philosophy, and the study of famine, which has afforded him a distinctive perspective on India’s history and intellectual traditions. Born in 1933 in British India, Sen’s academic journey took him from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Cambridge, where his work would eventually earn him the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998. His scholarship is marked by a focus on social justice, economic theory, and the mechanisms of poverty and famine—all of which reflect an engagement with human well-being and development.

Sen’s significance lies not just in his academic prestige but also in his sustained effort to understand and communicate the complexities of human development, welfare economics, and the principles of justice. His contributions to the field of economics are manifold, including the development of welfare economics and social choice theory and his work on the causes of famines. He has also been influential in broadening the scope of development economics to include indicators of human well-being beyond simple income metrics.

In The Argumentative Indian, Sen brings this background to bear on the examination of Indian history and culture. He is particularly well-placed to write this work, as his personal history is entwined with the intellectual traditions he describes.