Niti i nyaya: Amartya Sen and the Pluralist Vision of Justice

This article provides an in-depth analysis of Amartya Sen's thought, focusing on the crucial distinction between niti—justice as a formal institutional design—and nyaya, which refers to the actual well-being and realization of justice in the everyday lives of individuals. The author contrasts these concepts with the Western transcendental institutionalism of John Rawls, demonstrating the comparative method's superiority in addressing specific injustices. The text thoroughly discusses the capabilities approach as a precise tool for analyzing freedom and development, going beyond the simple distribution of resources. It also points to the pluralistic sources of practical reason, drawing from the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and demonstrates the practical application of these theories in modern market models, such as flexicurity and ethical risk management.