DR Mar 11

 The extent to which individuals exercise their agency in shaping their lives should be left to their discretion, embracing a non-paternalistic paradigm that upholds the primacy of personal autonomy. As articulated by Martha Nussbaum in Women and Human Development (2000), the political objective should be confined to ensuring capabilities, allowing individuals the latitude to chart their own trajectories. She elucidates this principle by distinguishing between fasting and starvation, asserting that while a well-nourished person may voluntarily choose to fast, deprivation induced by systemic inequities constitutes a categorical violation of human dignity.

The Capability Approach (CA), a theoretical framework jointly cultivated by Nussbaum and the distinguished economist and philosopher Amartya Sen, emerged as a response to conventional metrics of societal well-being. Their collaboration, underpinned by an intellectual and romantic alliance, sought to transcend the reductive emphasis on economic affluence and subjective utility as measures of human flourishing. Sen, in Commodities and Capabilities (1985), critiqued these traditional yardsticks, advocating instead for a paradigm that prioritizes the substantive opportunities available to individuals. Unlike Sen, who eschews rigid codifications of capabilities, Nussbaum delineates a definitive taxonomy comprising ten fundamental capabilities, each encapsulating a dimension of human existence requisite for a dignified life.

First among these is Life, encompassing the ability to experience a full and natural lifespan unimpeded by premature mortality. Bodily health follows, ensuring access to nutrition, shelter, and medical care, including reproductive health. Bodily integrity safeguards freedom of movement and protection from assault while preserving autonomy in sexual and reproductive choices. The fourth capability, Senses, imagination, and thought, underscores the necessity of education in cultivating cognitive faculties and creative expression. Equally indispensable is Emotions, which recognizes the intrinsic value of forming attachments, experiencing grief, love, and righteous indignation without psychological repression.

Practical reason confers the autonomy to deliberate on one’s conception of the good, encompassing religious and philosophical freedom. These capabilities, by their very nature, are not merely instrumental but intrinsically valuable, forming the bedrock of an equitable society. By foregrounding capabilities rather than material wealth or hedonistic calculus, Nussbaum’s iteration of the CA affirms that human dignity is realized not through passive welfare but through the active provision of conditions that enable genuine choice.

Meanings of Difficult Words:

  1. Non-paternalistic – Not interfering in people’s choices for their perceived own good.

  2. Paradigm – A model or framework of thought.

  3. Autonomy – The capacity to make independent decisions.

  4. Elucidates – Explains or makes clear.

  5. Systemic – Related to an entire system rather than isolated parts.

  6. Equities – Fairness and justice.

  7. Taxonomy – A systematic classification.

  8. Codifications – The process of arranging laws or principles systematically.

  9. Instrumental – Serving as a means to an end.

  10. Hedonistic – Relating to the pursuit of pleasure.

Word Count: 576 

Flesch-Kincaid Level: 16

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