Human development as a central goal for human resource development

This essay seeks to connect core aspects of the human development (HD) literature with its ethical and moral commitment to human flourishing and theoretical and applied scholarship in human resource development (HRD). Summarizing the central arguments advanced by philosopher John Finnis and economist and Nobel Memorial Prize winner Armatya Sen, the paper argues for the relevance of the HD frameworks for HRD. This is done by briefly reviewing the role of values for professional fields in general and HRD in particular, followed by a summary of the justifications for and definitions of HD as reciprocal obligations between social institutions and individuals. The central part of the paper argues for the conceptual proximity of the two fields and proposes that the moral and ethical value stance of HD can provide a solid philosophical foundation for HRD.