PhD defence M. (Mohsen) Yazdanpanah

On one hand, inspired by the works of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, one encounters a normative definition of development as ‘capability expansion’. This definition enriches the concept of freedom by integrating an array of aspects— having, being, and doing—that contribute to a person’s functioning. On the other hand, ‘development as capability expansion’ can be discerned de facto as an outcome of an expanding force originating from the West and incorporating other nations and countries into its own logic. This latter perspective gains significance when considering the numerous works that conceptualize ‘capitalism’ as a unique social formation with a dynamic expanding force. Taking into account both perspectives grounds the thesis’s main area of focus: the conceptualization of the capitalism-development nexus. To delve into the nature of this social phenomenon, appropriate meta-theories are necessary. Accordingly, the thesis is mainly guided by Critical Realism and, to a lesser extent, John Searle’s account of social ontology. The central objective of the thesis is to identify the basic generative mechanisms associated with the generality of capitalism (not its varieties) that enable it to be a dynamic expanding force.