Dudley Seers

Dudley Seers
Portrait photo of Dudley Seers
Born	Dudley Seers 1920
Died	1983
Occupation	Economist
Spouse(s)	Patricia Seers

Dudley Seers CMG (1920–1983) was a British economist who specialised in development economics. After his military service with the Royal Navy he taught at Oxford and then worked for various UN institutions. He was the director of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex from 1967 till 1972.

Seers is famous for replacing the "growth fetishism" of the early post war period with a greater concern with social development. He stressed the relativistic nature of judgements about development and questioned the value of the neoclassical approach to economics.

Writing on the Criteria for Development Nixson reports Seers argument that "Surely the values we need are staring us in the face, as soon as we ask ourselves: what are the necessary conditions for a universally accepted aim, the realisation of the potential of human personality?"(Seers in Baster). Assuming that the aim and yardstick of development is implied by this Seers goes on to identify a number of objectives for development for developing countries:

There is explicitly in Seers a sequently aspect to this. As progress is made towards the economic goals, that is ‘undernourishment, unemployment and inequality dwindle’.. ‘educational and political aims become increasingly important objectives of development’.

Dudley was married to Patrica Seers from which they had three daughters, Pauline, Andina, Susan and a son, Phillip. These in turn created 9 grandchildren.

He was appointed CMG in the 1975 Birthday Honours.