ABSTRACT
On the basis of the study of literature on development theory, the chapter outlines the existential, normative, practical and methodological assumptions of the concept of ‘development’. It then highlights the Eurocentric, depoliticising and authoritarian implications of the concept before discussing the question, whether or not it is possible (and makes sense) to redefine it. The chapter concludes that redefinitions are difficult if meanings have been associated with a certain term over decades. However, the ambiguities of the concept’s meaning allow cooperation even among groups whose definition diverges significantly.
