El Pensamiento de Martha Nussbaum 1- El Enfoque de las Capacidades - Filosofía Actual

Summary

Martha Nussbaum, a renowned American philosopher, is celebrated for her work in ethics, philosophy of law, and political philosophy. With an extensive list of publications and accolades, including the Prince of Asturias and Kyoto Prizes, her philosophy aims to make philosophy practical and accessible. Nussbaum's central focus is on 'capabilities' and emotions in politics, advocating for a democratic society that respects human dignity and equality. Her theory, developed with economist Amartya Sen, evaluates societies based on ten essential capabilities for a good life, moving beyond economic growth to ensure dignity and well-being for all.

Takeaways

• 📚 Martha Nussbaum is a renowned American philosopher known for her work in ethics, philosophy of law, and political philosophy, with an extensive list of publications and accolades, including the Prince of Asturias Award and the Kyoto Prize.
• 🏛️ Nussbaum agrees with the principles of justice proposed by John Rawls and is influenced by Greek philosophy and thinkers like John Stuart Mill, focusing on the practical utility of philosophy to bring people closer to a good life.
• 🌐 Her main contributions are the capability approach, the study of emotions, and their impact on political systems, aiming to provide tools to evaluate if political systems are fulfilling their basic functions and promoting social justice.
• 📈 Nussbaum's capability approach moves beyond traditional economic measures like GDP growth, emphasizing the need for a more holistic evaluation of development that includes social justice and individual well-being.
• 🤔 The approach focuses on what individuals are 'capable' of doing, rather than just their subjective satisfaction with life, aiming to provide an objective measure of a country's development.
• 🔢 Nussbaum proposes evaluating 10 key capabilities necessary for a good or dignified life, including life longevity and quality, health, bodily integrity, imagination and thought, emotions, practical reason, affiliation, interaction with nature, leisure, and control over one's environment.
• 🌐 These capabilities are intentionally abstract and broad, allowing for flexibility in how each state or culture interprets and implements them, respecting individual freedom and avoiding cultural imposition.
• 🚫 Nussbaum emphasizes the importance of not imposing a specific cultural model and respecting the principle of harm to others as the main limit to individual freedoms, aligning with John Stuart Mill's position.
• 🔄 She believes in a normative framework that is adaptable to each state and culture, where the minimum level of each capability can be established and resources distributed accordingly, with modifications being acceptable.
• 💡 Nussbaum's work on capabilities is part of an ongoing collaboration with other philosophers and economists, including Amartya Sen, and is aimed at contributing to the normative philosophy that can be universally applied.
• 💭 Her second main line of work, the philosophy of emotions, will be the focus of a subsequent video, highlighting the importance of emotional connections in making a society based on correct principles sustainable.

Q & A

Who is Martha Nussbaum and what is her area of expertise?

Martha Nussbaum is a renowned American philosopher known for her work in ethics, philosophy of law, and political philosophy. She has published numerous books and taught at prestigious universities such as Harvard and Brown before settling at the University of Chicago, where she holds the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professorship of Law and Ethics.

What are some of the awards Martha Nussbaum has received for her work?

Martha Nussbaum has received numerous awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award and the Kyoto Prize, which is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in philosophy.

What are the two main lines of Martha Nussbaum's philosophical thought?

The two main lines of Martha Nussbaum's philosophical thought are the approach of capabilities and the study of emotions and their effect on political systems.

How does Nussbaum's approach to capabilities differ from traditional liberal western perspectives?

Nussbaum's approach to capabilities provides a guide for evaluating societies beyond the traditional western liberal perspective, focusing on what individuals are capable of doing rather than just economic growth or subjective well-being.

What are the ten capabilities that Nussbaum proposes as necessary for a good or dignified life?

The ten capabilities are: 1) life, 2) health, 3) bodily integrity, 4) imagination and thought, 5) emotions, 6) practical reason, 7) affiliation, 8) interaction with nature, 9) play (leisure time for adults), and 10) control over one's environment.

How does Nussbaum's approach to capabilities relate to John Rawls' principles of justice?

Nussbaum's approach to capabilities builds upon Rawls' principles of justice, aiming to provide a more viable framework for evaluating whether a political system is fulfilling its basic functions and ensuring a just society.

What is the significance of the capabilities approach in the field of development?

The capabilities approach has had a significant impact in the field of development, particularly in the area of aid, by providing a more holistic and human-centered way to evaluate the well-being and progress of societies beyond mere economic indicators.

How does Nussbaum's philosophy of emotions complement her capabilities approach?

Nussbaum's philosophy of emotions complements her capabilities approach by emphasizing the importance of emotional connections and empathy in sustaining a just and equitable society, suggesting that emotional bonds are crucial for the long-term viability of systems based on correct principles.

What is the role of the community in Nussbaum's view of a good life?

In Nussbaum's view, the community is essential for the development of individuals and the realization of a good life, as it fosters mutual respect and provides the necessary conditions for individuals to exercise their capabilities and achieve well-being.

How does Nussbaum's approach to capabilities address the issue of cultural relativism?

Nussbaum's approach to capabilities is deliberately abstract and broad, allowing for each state and culture to determine how to act regarding each capability, thus respecting cultural differences while still providing a normative framework for evaluating the fulfillment of basic human needs.

What are some criticisms Nussbaum has faced regarding her approach to capabilities?

While not explicitly mentioned in the script, some criticisms of Nussbaum's approach to capabilities include concerns about its abstractness and the potential difficulty in operationalizing the capabilities in practice, as well as questions about the extent to which it can be universally applied across different cultural contexts.