A list of central human capabilities forming the basis of any just society.
Nussbaum List #
Tell me about Martha Nussbaum? #
Martha Nussbaum, born on May 6, 1947, is an American philosopher and the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, a position that includes appointments in the Philosophy Department, Law School, and Divinity School. She is a prominent figure in contemporary philosophy, known for her work in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, political philosophy, feminism, and ethics, especially her development of the Capabilities Approach.
Nussbaum was educated at New York University, where she studied classics and theatre, and then at Harvard University, where she received her Ph.D. in classical philology. Her academic journey reflects a profound engagement with classical texts, which she has leveraged to explore and address contemporary ethical and political issues.
One of Nussbaum’s most significant contributions is the Capabilities Approach, co-developed with economist Amartya Sen. This framework evaluates societal well-being beyond traditional metrics like GDP, focusing instead on what individuals are able to do and be – their capabilities. It emphasizes the importance of freedom and opportunity, arguing that true development is about expanding individuals’ abilities to lead lives they have reason to value.
Her work in this area has profoundly influenced human development theory and practice, including informing the creation of the United Nations Human Development Index. Nussbaum’s approach advocates for the assessment of diverse aspects of human life, including health, education, and political freedoms, to ensure a fuller picture of development and justice.
Nussbaum has also made significant contributions to feminist theory, notably critiquing the social contract tradition for its insensitivity to the plight of the vulnerable and dependent. She champions a form of political liberalism that accommodates plurality and emphasizes compassion, developing a nuanced understanding of emotions’ roles in social justice and public reason.
Her bibliography is extensive, with notable works including “The Fragility of Goodness” (1986), where she explores the ethical dilemmas and uncertainties in Greek tragedy and philosophy; “Sex and Social Justice” (1999), which addresses gender and equality; and “Frontiers of Justice” (2006), expanding her capabilities approach to include the disabled, the non-human animal world, and global justice issues.
Nussbaum’s philosophical inquiries delve into the complexities of human life, advocating for a moral philosophy grounded in the messiness of the human condition, the importance of emotions, and the need for a political and ethical framework that recognizes and fosters human dignity and capabilities. Her work stands as a testament to the power of philosophical reflection to address real-world problems and improve the human condition.
Is Martha Nussbaum more often quoted by Democrats, or by Republicans? #
Martha Nussbaum’s work, particularly her emphasis on the Capabilities Approach and her contributions to ethics, political philosophy, and feminist theory, transcends easy categorization along the traditional lines of American political parties such as Democrats and Republicans. Her philosophical contributions are grounded in notions of human dignity, justice, and the development of individual potential, themes that can resonate across the political spectrum. However, the application and reception of her ideas might vary within the political context.
Nussbaum’s focus on social justice, equality, and the importance of addressing vulnerabilities and ensuring capabilities for all individuals align with principles often emphasized by the Democratic Party, especially within its progressive wing. Her work on social justice, gender equality, and her critique of traditional economic measures of success, like GDP, in favor of a more nuanced understanding of human well-being, find sympathetic audiences among those who advocate for policies aimed at reducing inequalities, ensuring universal healthcare, and protecting civil rights.
On the other hand, her advocacy for a version of political liberalism that emphasizes individual freedoms and the importance of a plurality of viewpoints might find resonance among some factions within the Republican Party, particularly those concerned with issues of freedom, autonomy, and limited governmental interference in personal lives. However, her critical stance on certain neoliberal economic policies and her emphasis on state responsibility to ensure capabilities for all individuals might be less aligned with conservative priorities focused on market freedom and smaller government.
It is essential to recognize that Nussbaum’s work is academic and philosophical, aiming at universal principles of justice and human dignity rather than partisan politics. While her ideas may be more frequently cited or embraced by those whose policies align with the values of social justice and equality (often associated with the Democratic Party), her influence spans a broad spectrum, touching anyone interested in the ethical dimensions of law, politics, and society. Her philosophy invites engagement from all political perspectives, challenging individuals to consider deeply what it means to live a good life and what the role of society and government should be in facilitating such a life for its citizens.
I would like to know more about the “Capabilities Approach”? #
The Capabilities Approach is a normative framework initially developed by the economist Amartya Sen in the 1980s and further elaborated by philosopher Martha Nussbaum in the 1990s. It seeks to articulate a measure of well-being that enables the assessment of individual advantage in terms of the capability to achieve various valuable states of being and doing, termed “functionings.” These functionings can include a wide range of human activities and states, such as being healthy, being adequately nourished, having shelter, and being able to participate in the life of the community.
At the heart of the Capabilities Approach is the assertion that the primary aim of justice should be to expand individuals’ freedoms to lead the kind of lives they value, and have reason to value. This framework diverges from traditional welfare economics, which primarily focuses on utility (pleasure, desire fulfillment, etc.) or resources (income, wealth, commodities) as the main indicators of well-being. Instead, it emphasizes what people are actually able to do and to be – their “capabilities” – as the most appropriate indicators of their well-being.
Key Components
Individual Variation: The Capabilities Approach acknowledges that individuals vary in their ability to convert resources into valuable functionings. This variation can be due to differences in age, gender, talents, disabilities, etc. For instance, the same amount of food may lead to different nutritional outcomes in different individuals due to variations in metabolism, and the same income level may not guarantee the same standard of living in different locations or for different personal needs.
Freedom and Agency: Central to the approach is the importance of an individual’s freedom to choose between different ways of living. Not all functionings are of equal value to all people; hence, it is crucial to consider the choices available to individuals and the freedom they have to pursue outcomes they value.
List of Capabilities: Nussbaum has proposed a list of central human capabilities that she argues should be protected at a minimum by governments. These include life; bodily health; bodily integrity; senses, imagination, and thought; emotions; practical reason; affiliation; other species; play; and control over one’s environment. This list is meant to provide a foundation for determining what it means to live a life worthy of human dignity.
Application and Critiques The Capabilities Approach has been influential in various fields, including development studies, welfare economics, and social policy. It has informed the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index (HDI) and contributed to broadening the discourse around poverty, inequality, and development beyond mere economic growth to include other dimensions of human well-being.
Critiques of the Capabilities Approach often revolve around the challenges of operationalization and measurement, the normative nature of defining a list of essential capabilities, and concerns about cultural relativism versus universalism in specifying what counts as a valuable functioning or capability.
Despite these critiques, the Capabilities Approach provides a robust framework for evaluating human well-being and social justice, emphasizing the plurality of human life and the importance of freedom, opportunity, and dignity in pursuing a life of one’s choosing.
Please show me “Nussbaum list”? #
Martha Nussbaum has articulated a list of central human capabilities that she argues should form the basis of any just society. According to Nussbaum, these capabilities represent essential human functional entitlements that should be guaranteed to all individuals. The list serves as a normative framework for assessing human well-being and social arrangements, aiming to secure the conditions for a life worthy of human dignity. Here is Nussbaum’s list of central human capabilities:
Life: Being able to live a normal length of life, not dying prematurely, or before one’s life is so reduced as to be not worth living.
Bodily Health: Being able to have good health, including reproductive health; to be adequately nourished; to have adequate shelter.
Bodily Integrity: Being able to move freely from place to place; to be secure against violent assault, including sexual assault and domestic violence; having opportunities for sexual satisfaction and for choice in matters of reproduction.
Senses, Imagination, and Thought: Being able to use the senses; to imagine, think, and reason—and to do these things in a “truly human” way, informed and cultivated by an adequate education, including, but by no means limited to, literacy and basic mathematical and scientific training. Being able to use imagination and thought in connection with experiencing and producing works and events of one’s own choice, religious, literary, musical, and so forth. Being able to use one’s mind in ways protected by guarantees of freedom of expression with respect to both political and artistic speech, and freedom of religious exercise. Being able to have pleasurable experiences and to avoid non-beneficial pain.
Emotions: Being able to have attachments to things and people outside ourselves; to love those who love and care for us, to grieve at their absence; in general, to love, to grieve, to experience longing, gratitude, and justified anger. Not having one’s emotional development blighted by fear and anxiety. (Supporting this capability means supporting forms of human association that can be shown to be crucial in their development.)
Practical Reason: Being able to form a conception of the good and to engage in critical reflection about the planning of one’s life. This entails protection for the liberty of conscience and religious observance.
Affiliation:
A. Being able to live with and toward others, to recognize and show concern for other human beings, to engage in various forms of social interaction; to be able to imagine the situation of another. (Protecting this capability means protecting institutions that constitute and nurture forms of affiliation, and also protecting the freedom of assembly and political speech.)
B. Having the social bases of self-respect and non-humiliation; being able to be treated as a dignified being whose worth is equal to that of others. This entails provisions of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, caste, religion, national origin.
Other Species: Being able to live with concern for and in relation to animals, plants, and the world of nature.
Play: Being able to laugh, to play, to enjoy recreational activities.
Control Over One’s Environment:
A. Political: Being able to participate effectively in political choices that govern one’s life; having the right of political participation, protections of free speech and association.
B. Material: Being able to hold property (both land and movable goods), and having property rights on an equal basis with others; having the right to seek employment on an equal basis with others; having the freedom from unwarranted search and seizure. In work, being able to work as a human, exercising practical reason and entering into meaningful relationships of mutual recognition with other workers.
Nussbaum argues that these capabilities are universally applicable but also allows for cultural, social, and individual variation in the ways these capabilities are pursued and expressed. Her approach emphasizes not just the presence of these capabilities but the genuine opportunity for individuals to exercise them, aiming to create a framework for evaluating social justice and human development that respects human diversity and individual autonomy.