Economics Dictionary of Arguments

Home Screenshot Tabelle Begriffe

 
Capabilities: In philosophy, capability refers to an individual's capacity or potential to perform a particular action or exhibit a certain skill or behavior. It encompasses the inherent ability to accomplish tasks or engage in activities, whether realized or untapped.
_____________
Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments.

 
Author Concept Summary/Quotes Sources

Amartya Sen on Capabilities - Dictionary of Arguments

Brocker I 890
Skills/Sen: in order to revive a qualitatively oriented economic science, the distinction between "capabilities" and "functionings" must be introduced.
Functions/Sen: The term 'functions' [...] reflects the various things a person likes to do or likes to be. The desirable functions may range from elementary conditions such as adequate nutrition or freedom from avoidable diseases to very complex activities or personal states such as being able to participate in community life and having self-respect. A person's 'chances of realization' refer to the possible connections of the functions he or she is able to perform.
I 891
Def Realization Chances/Sen: (=abilities): are thus expressions of freedom: namely the [...] [essential] freedom to realize alternative combinations of functions (or, expressed less formally, the freedom to realize different lifestyles).(1)
For Sen, the idea of "essential freedom" includes in particular the "procedural freedom" to define the concrete freedoms and opportunities that a community seeks to grant its members. (cf. (2))
>Freedom/Sen.
I 892
Sen: the political dispute over the respective situation-appropriate definition of basic economic needs must not be avoided, but should be sought, because it creates the epistemic and political conditions necessary for their realization.(3)

1. Amartya Sen, Ökonomie für den Menschen. Wege zu Gerechtigkeit und Solidarität in der Marktwirtschaft, München 2000, p. 95
2. B. Giovanola »Personhood and Human Richness. Good and Well-Being in the Capability Approach and Beyond«, in: Review of Social Economy 63/2, 2005, 249-267.
3. Sen 2000, p. 182

Claus Dierksmeier, „Amartya Sen, Ökonomie für den Menschen (1999)“ in: Manfred Brocker (Hg.) Geschichte des politischen Denkens. Das 20. Jahrhundert. Frankfurt/M. 2018


_____________
Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments
The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition.

EconSen I
Amartya Sen
Collective Choice and Social Welfare: Expanded Edition London 2017

Brocker I
Manfred Brocker
Geschichte des politischen Denkens. Das 20. Jahrhundert Frankfurt/M. 2018


Send Link

Authors A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   Z  


Concepts A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   Z