--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedoms are not only the primary ends of…" description: "\"Freedoms are not only the primary ends of development, they are also among its principal means.\" — Amartya Sen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/amartya-sen-2518_development_freedoms-are-not-only-the-primary-ends-o_2077657.png" --- # Freedoms are not only the primary ends of development… ![“Freedoms are not only the primary ends of development, they are also among its principal means.” quote by Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/amartya-sen-2518_development_freedoms-are-not-only-the-primary-ends-o_2077657.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/amartya-sen-2518_development_freedoms-are-not-only-the-primary-ends-o_2077657.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/amartya-sen-2518_development_freedoms-are-not-only-the-primary-ends-o_2077657.png) > “Freedoms are not only the primary ends of development, they are also among its principal means.” [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is both a goal of development and a means to achieve further progress, intertwining ends and means. **In simple terms:** Freedom is both goal and means. Key Takeaway Promote freedom to foster development. Themes development freedom human rights economics Mood thoughtful inspirational Type academic policy‑oriented When to use this quote - policy design - education - social reform Key Concepts philosophy political economy ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can freedom be measured in development? - What policies best translate freedom into progress? A Different Perspective Freedom alone may not guarantee development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedoms/) ## Related quotes > [Individual freedoms are the primary engine by which the pursuit of happiness can be maximally instantiated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-saad/individual-freedoms-are-the-primary-engine-by-which-the-pursuit-of/) [Gad Saad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-saad/) > [Moralities and religions are the principal means by which one can make whatever one wishes out of man, provided one possesses a superfluity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/moralities-and-religions-are-the-principal-means-by-which-one-can/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Sometimes the lack of substantive freedoms relates directly to economic poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/sometimes-the-lack-of-substantive-freedoms-relates-directly-to-2/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [In all kinds of ways there are different freedoms that effect our lives and you can assess what our lives are like by looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/in-all-kinds-of-ways-there-are-different-freedoms-that-effect-our/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Sometimes the lack of substantive freedoms relates directly to economic poverty, which robs people of the freedom to satisfy hunger; or to achieve sufficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/sometimes-the-lack-of-substantive-freedoms-relates-directly-to/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The success of a society is to be evaluated primarily by the freedoms that members of the society enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-success-of-a-society-is-to-be-evaluated-primarily-by-the-freedoms/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The opportunities, income, schools facilities, the basic income support that the government provides or any of these things .. public transport arrangements we have..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-opportunities-income-schools-facilities-the-basic-income-support/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Keep your rivers flowing as they will, and you will continue to know the most important of all freedoms-the boundless scope of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/keep-your-rivers-flowing-as-they-will-and-you-will-continue-to-know/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [“...if you could not close a door behind you to take a shit in the city - even if it was just the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/if-you-could-not-close-a-door-behind-you-to-take-a-shit-in-the-city/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [Everyone has a right to peaceful coexistence, the basic personal freedoms, the alleviation of suffering, and the opportunity to lead a productive life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/everyone-has-a-right-to-peaceful-coexistence-the-basic-personal/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-greatest-mental-freedoms-is-truly-not-caring-what-anyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Human Rights Act is not a terrorists' charter. It enables ordinary citizens to seek redress when the government breaches fundamental freedoms enshrined in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-human-rights-act-is-not-a-terrorists-charter-it-enables-ordinary/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) > [While we welcome people of all faiths in America we cannot be so naive as to expect all countries to do the same. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-huffington/while-we-welcome-people-of-all-faiths-in-america-we-cannot-be-so/) [Michael Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-huffington/) > [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [“The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action… There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/the-experiences-of-camp-life-show-that-man-does-have-a-choice-of/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) ## More by Amartya Sen > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. Now how far we can go along that and what new capabilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/capability-is-just-a-concept-of-what-is-it-we-re-looking-at-now-how/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/where-the-mind-is-without-fear-and-the-head-is-held-high-where/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Violence is fomented by the imposition of singular and belligerent identities on gullible people, championed by proficient artisans of terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/violence-is-fomented-by-the-imposition-of-singular-and-belligerent/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I think the whole progress over the last two or three millennia has been entirely dependent on ideas and techniques and commodities and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-think-the-whole-progress-over-the-last-two-or-three-millennia-has/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/no-famine-has-ever-taken-place-in-the-history-of-the-world-in-a/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [To say that certainly America was very lucky to get a large amount of land, and the native Indians were extremely unlucky to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/to-say-that-certainly-america-was-very-lucky-to-get-a-large-amount-of/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The lack of economic freedom could be a very major reason for loss of liberty, liberty of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-lack-of-economic-freedom-could-be-a-very-major-reason-for-loss-of/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We need to ask the moral questions: Do I have a right to be rich? And do I have a right to be content…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/we-need-to-ask-the-moral-questions-do-i-have-a-right-to-be-rich-and/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“He wrote extensively on how schools should be made more attractive to boys and girls and thus more productive. His own co-educational school at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/he-wrote-extensively-on-how-schools-should-be-made-more-attractive-to/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [One has to be realistic. One’s concern for equity and justice in the world must not carry one into the alien territory of unreasoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/one-has-to-be-realistic-one-s-concern-for-equity-and-justice-in-the/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [While I am interested both in economics and in philosophy, the union of my interests in the two fields far exceeds their intersection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/while-i-am-interested-both-in-economics-and-in-philosophy-the-union/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I was born in a University campus and seem to have lived all my life in one campus or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-was-born-in-a-university-campus-and-seem-to-have-lived-all-my-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [If jobs are important, education is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/if-jobs-are-important-education-is-important/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Thailand's economic development was driven by educational expansion. 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