Knowra Martha Nussbaum Martha Nussbaum Martha Nussbaum is an American philosopher whose work connects ancient Greek thought with contemporary ethics, political philosophy, and human development. She is a leading architect of the capabilities approach, which evaluates social justice through people's substantive opportunities.
Capabilities approach : A framework for assessing justice and development by the substantive opportunities people have to do and be valued things. Nussbaum helped develop this framework into an account of human dignity and political justice.
Human development : The expansion of people's abilities and opportunities to live lives they have reason to value. The capabilities approach offers an alternative to measuring development through income alone.
John Rawls : An American philosopher whose theory of justice centers on fair institutions and equal basic liberties. Nussbaum adapts and criticizes Rawlsian liberalism, especially its treatment of disability and global justice.
The Fragility of Goodness : Martha Nussbaum's study of ancient Greek ethics, tragedy, and the vulnerability of human flourishing. This early book established her account of how chance can threaten a good life.
Literature and ethics : The study of how literary works represent moral experience and shape ethical understanding. Nussbaum argues that literature can sharpen moral perception through attention to particular lives.
Aristotle : An ancient Greek philosopher whose writings shaped Western thought on ethics, politics, logic, and nature. Nussbaum draws on Aristotle's account of human flourishing and practical reasoning.
Amartya Sen : An Indian economist and philosopher who developed the capabilities approach to welfare and development. Sen and Nussbaum shaped the approach, while differing over whether to specify a definitive list of capabilities.
Hilary Putnam : An American philosopher known for work in philosophy of mind, language, mathematics, and pragmatism. Putnam was Nussbaum's doctoral adviser at Harvard.
Women and Human Development : Martha Nussbaum's book applying the capabilities approach to gender inequality and global development. It develops her argument that justice requires securing central capabilities for women.
Compassion : An emotional response to another's serious suffering that includes concern for that person's well-being. She examines compassion as a feeling with ethical and political significance.
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