Joint winner of  the 2017 Trinity College Dublin and developmenteducation.ie development issues blog series, Terence Mullally dons his philosophy hat to explore what ‘development’ means.

Is development having a Google headquarters in your country?

Is development having large institutions in your country?

Is development a booming economy in your country?

Is development the presence of multinationals in your country?

Is a development a low corporate tax rate in your country?

Is development a better standard of living for people in your country?

Is development a better future for children in your country?

Is development having bicycles instead of horses in your country?

Is development having cars instead of bicycles in your country?

Is development having electric cars in your country?

Is development a house with slates rather than thatch in your country?

Is development feeling safe in your country?

Is development access to healthcare in your country?

Is development a more mundane concept?

Is it clean drinking water in your country?

Is it a bed to sleep in at night in your country?

Is it three meals a day in your country?

Is it free education for all in your country?

Is it equal opportunities for all in your country?

Is it a job to go to in your country?

Is it a Leviathan state that provides some level of equality between all in your country?

The answers to the above are determined by which country you live in.

Ask someone in Sweden.

Then ask someone in sub Saharan Africa.

• Catch other blogs from TCD Development of Political Science students in the Trinity College Dublin Development Issues Series
• Photo credit: Questions (2017) airpix. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr