The importance of economic freedom for economic development can no longer be denied. What is often denied, however, is respect for individuals’ rights and personal choices. The role of individual choice is often dismissed or set aside by the development community. In this essay, I argue that inherent to economic freedom’s economic success is the promotion and acceptance of individual choice. Development theory should include recognition of and respect for personal choices, a theory I call “Catfish Man of the Woods” theory of development.

中文翻译：

---

选择的重要性：鲶鱼林中人的发展理论

经济自由对于经济发展的重要性不能再被否认。然而，人们常常否认尊重个人权利和个人选择。个人选择的作用经常被开发社区忽视或搁置。在本文中，我认为经济自由和经济成功的内在本质是促进和接受个人选择。发展理论应该包括对个人选择的承认和尊重，我将这种理论称为“林中鲶鱼人”发展理论。