What Are People Actually Able to Do and Be? Sen's Capability Approach
Utility and income are the wrong yardsticks. Sen on welfarism, resourcism, functionings, capabilities, and the three children and the flute.
Steps
- 1
- Reading· ~11 min
Nussbaum's Central Capabilities and the Question of a List
Martha Nussbaum takes Sen's framework and gives it teeth, a specific list of capabilities that every person is owed as a matter of justice.
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- Reading· ~9 min
Adaptive Preferences and the Problem of Satisfied Deprivation
The ==capability approach=='s most philosophically important insight, and its most troubling implication.
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- Text Explore· ~8 min
Sen and Nussbaum: The Core Claims
Read the key formulations of the ==capability approach== and its most important concepts.
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- Argument Map· ~10 min
Capabilities, Justice, and Human Development
Map the ==capability approach==, its philosophical foundations, and the main lines of critique.
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- Dialogue· ~10 min
Dialogue: Who Decides Which Capabilities Matter?
The hardest challenge to the ==capability approach==, the tension between universalism and cultural autonomy.
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- Reflection· ~8 min
Reflection: Your Own Capability Set
The ==capability approach== is most powerful when applied to your own situation and the situations of people you can actually affect.
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Complete the Reflection step in this path to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments.