Abstract

Many philosophical ideas of the American philosopher Martha Nussbaum are relevant and widespread in contemporary ethics and political philosophy. The most notorious of her theoretical ideas is her capability approach, designed to achieve basic human capabilities and to ensure respect for human dignity and a minimum level of social justice. The first problem considered in this article is the status of neo-Aristotelian ethics that is usually seen only as a critical theory, not a normative one, and Nussbaum’s primary attempt to classify neo-Aristotelians as either anti-Utilitarians or anti-Kantians. Despite this differentiation in her one article, there is no such distinction in her further works. The second problem in question is a reconstruction of the Aristotelian approach of virtues in the Nussbaumian interpretation and her attempt to combine it with two types of her capability approach – the basic and the global one. The article also focuses on whether the capability approach is normative or relativistic, and its critique.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.