"While I am interested both in economics and in philosophy, the union of my interests in the two fields far exceeds their intersection"

Amartya Sen powerfully captures the richness and complexity that emerges when two fields are considered not as fixed sets but as fertile domains inviting fresh possibilities. Economics often concerns itself with how people make choices and allocate scarce resources, while philosophy grapples with deeper questions relating to value, justice, and rationality. Although both disciplines overlap in certain areas, such as welfare economics, utilitarianism, and theories of justice, these shared topics represent only a small portion of what each field has to offer.

Sen’s remark draws attention to the difference between “intersection” and “union.” The intersection of economics and philosophy, strictly defined, includes only those problems and theories that both recognize and study concurrently. Classic examples are inquiries into rational choice, ethical implications of market outcomes, or debates about distributive justice. However, the union is much larger, encompassing all the ideas, questions, and insights from either field, and offering a much wider landscape for intellectual exploration.

When interests span the union, not just the intersection, a person finds themselves enriched by the methodologies, intuitions, and frameworks from both economics and philosophy, even when engaging with topics that formally belong to only one. Approaching economic models with a philosophical lens raises new questions about assumptions, values, and implications. Conversely, philosophical debates can be sharpened and enriched by the analytical rigor and empirical focus of economics. The creative integration born from this union leads to novel questions, redefinitions of existing problems, and potentially transformative ideas that neither field could produce in isolation.

Sen’s own career embodies this approach, illustrating how fascination with the entire universe of both economics and philosophy, and not just their shared territory, enables innovative thinking. By inviting economists and philosophers to look beyond their common ground, he encourages a more imaginative, boundary-crossing engagement that honors the full breadth of both disciplines.