Human Development and Political Freedom: the Case of China

Abstract

Drawing upon a comprehensive review of existing literature, this study explores the historical evolution of the HDI and its conceptual foundations. It delves into the methodologies employed in measuring human development and political freedom, analyzing the strengths and limitations of each approach. The research further investigates the normative underpinnings of the HDI and the ethical considerations involved in broadening its scope to include political freedom. Through empirical analysis, this thesis also assesses the incorporating political freedom into the HDI on a sample of China. More particularly, references are made to the literature that argues that this concept has to be expanded to include political freedoms and liberty of self-expression. It looks at Amartya Sen's contribution, that views freedom as an essential component of human development, and addresses the issue of enhancing an individual's capacity to make valuable choices in life in order to enhance the quality of that life, investigating also into the variables influencing the Human Development Index. However, also the country cultural and political environment has to be analyzed when considering this issue. In the case of China, there is a different understanding of the concept of democracy and different political values, where the populace perceives limitations in its understanding and experience of politics. Although Chinese people generally have positive views toward democratic values, they do not vehemently demand the actualization of those political liberties. People are unable to completely develop their potential and take part in decisions that influence their life without basic civil liberties and human rights.