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Toxic famine research and how it suppresses its critics

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  • Bowbrick, Peter

Abstract

Bad economic theory can cause famines or stop governments from taking appropriate action to prevent famines. This can kill millions. Amartya Sen’s theory of the cause of the Bengal Famine, which is the inspiration for his ‘entitlement approach’, has been refuted again and again, in different ways, by economists of different theoretical persuasions and by statisticians expert in this area. Sen has been shown to systematically misrepresent the evidence, to make repeated, elementary, theoretical mistakes, and to use and misuse ‘meaningless’ statistics. No attempt has been made by anyone to challenge these refutations: they are incontrovertible. Sen has not retracted his theory, or any of it, which implies fraud. Yet Sen’s work is widely believed and used in famine situations. His ‘entitlement approach’, based largely on his theory of the Bengal famine, is the basis of a research programme. This paper examines how the research programme suppressed the criticisms, ignoring the normal requirements of academic and professional research and integrity. It also produced new falsehoods.

Suggested Citation

  • Bowbrick, Peter, 2020. "Toxic famine research and how it suppresses its critics," MPRA Paper 101970, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:101970
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    1. Bowbrick, Peter, 2022. "Entitlement and food availability decline (FAD) – the use of fraud and abuse in famine economics," MPRA Paper 115133, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Famine; refutation; fabrication; false evidence; false statistics; Bengal famine; suppressing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War
    • H84 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Disaster Aid
    • N5 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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