Denis Goulet Memorial Prize 2018 for Matthias Kramm

Matthias Kramm (Ethics Institute) has won the Denis Goulet Memorial Prize 2018 for his paper 'Capability and Habit'. The prize has been awarded by the International Development Ethics Association (IDEA). 

In his article 'Capability and Habit' Matthias Kramm compares the concepts of impartiality and freedom in the philosophy of Amartya Sen and John Dewey. If a person is impartial, can this lead her to underestimate local values and local knowledge? If a person is free, is she then free from her environment or free to deal with her environment? By supplementing Sen's action theory with Dewey's concepts of habit and character, contextualized concepts of impartiality and freedom become possible.

Kramm is a PhD student. His research project focuses on the role of cultural traditions in development processes. He refers in particular to indigenous peoples, who are trapped in the tension between development and tradition. His supervisor is Ingrid Robeyns.