Interview with Ingrid Robeyns in Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics

The Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics (EJPE) interviewed Ingrid Robeyns about her formative years, her scholarship on the capability approach, her ERC-funded Fair Limits project, the relevance of political philosophy for public policy, and her advice for young philosophers aspiring to an academic career.

“I think that the political and societal effects of preference formation should be a central project in political philosophy. Many of us have embraced the liberal paradigm that preferences are sacred and should not be touched. This is one point where we’ve been influenced by economics: whatever the consumer wants, the consumer wants; there are no moral questions to be asked. Although I am probably in essence a liberal philosopher, I do think we should look more critically at some of our basic views, including the view that if you want to show respect to people, you should not question their preferences. I think that’s really a mistake.”

Download the full interview (in pdf) here