’Economic Ethics and the Capability Approach’’

Question 1

Capability approach (what question belongs to this)

Answer 1

a framework used to study and evaluate justice, equality, and ethics in economic systems. ‘‘What can people actually do or achieve with the resources they have?’’

Question 2

explain capability approach: normative, descriptive and explanatory, Amartya sen, martha Nussbaum

Answer 2

• It’s normative, meaning it sets principles and standards for how things should be in society
• It also describes and explains how systems currently function
• Amartya Sen:
  Introduced the approach
  asking: Equality of what?
  justice and equality should be measured by capabilities, what people can achieve, rather than just what they own.
• Martha Nussbaum:
  Expanded Sen’s ideas by creating lists of essential human capabilities (like health, education, and freedom). –> economic justice

Question 3

martha Nussbaum focused on:

Answer 3

1. health: Do people have access to good healthcare and a healthy life?
2. education: Do they have the opportunity to learn and develop skills?
3. social support: Are there systems in place to help people when they need it?
4. varied options: Can people participate in society, such as by working, voting, or being active in their communities?

Question 4

functionings

Answer 4

things a person does or the states he achieves in his life with the resources that he has (being healthy, getting education)

Question 5

how do you call all the functions together?

Answer 5

capability set

Question 6

bundle of functionings

Answer 6

the collection of functionings that a person can realize together

Question 7

achieved functionings

Answer 7

when a person chooses which functioning’s to realize (from their capability set)

Question 8

conversion factors

Answer 8

things that influence how resources are converted into functionings

Question 9

conversion factors can be (3)

Answer 9

1. personal (skills, physical health)
2. societal factors (social norm, laws)
3. environmental factors (infrastructure, climate)

Question 10

difference between the basic frameworks and specialized applications

Answer 10

basic: general idea of capabilities and functionings

specialized applications: used in specific areas like economics or education

Question 11

how do we also call specialized applications?

Answer 11

capability theories

Question 12

capability theories

Answer 12

1. use capabilities and achieve functions to achieve well-being
2. focuses on ultimate goal (ends over means)
3. holistic view of well-being and freedom (pluralism)

Question 13

freedom in the capability approach

Answer 13

effective freedom, meaning the ability of a person to do/do not something, become/not become something.

Question 14

whats negative freedom

Answer 14

If no one is controlling you, stopping you, or interfering with your choices, you have negative freedom.

Question 15

what does the capability approach say about individual/collective freedom

Answer 15

it is focused on individual well-being but recognizes that group membership can impact an individuals freedom and capabilities

Question 16

what are the constraints when it comes to the capability approach

Answer 16

1. legal restrictions
2. economic and material conditions
3. social norms, psychology and environment

Question 17

what has to capability approach has ro do with negative freedom

Answer 17

it goes beyond that

Question 18

whats carters view the it comes to new possibilities

Answer 18

it increases freedom and its neutral, neither good nor bad until we evaluate it

Question 19

sens view on freedom

Answer 19

becomes meaningful when It provides options that people value and find useful, and to know this we should ask the people directly

Question 20

is it a small or broad scope, the capability approach

Answer 20

broad

Question 21

does the capability approach focuses on real opportunities or abstract/theoretical possibilities?

Answer 21

actual opportunities

Question 22

effective freedom

Answer 22

the actual ability to live the kind of life a person values

Question 23

whats the limitation of the capability approach

Answer 23

doesn’t always take ethics and fairness into account