Adaptive Preferences and Procedural Autonomy

Serene Khader

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 2009, vol. 10, issue 2, 169-187

Abstract: Capabilities theorists hold that adaptive preference (APs) are problematically shaped by deprivation, and that they thus merit public interrogation. However, it is unclear what differentiates APs from preferences worthy of public respect. Thinking of APs as procedurally non-autonomous promises grounds on which to distinguish them without compromising respect for moral pluralism. Using examples from gender and development practice, I argue that — despite the appeal of this route — there are deep problems with thinking of APs as non-autonomous. Conceptions of APs as non-autonomous do not identify APs in a way consistent with our intuitions and fail to provide appropriate practical guidance to public institutions interested in interrogating APs. I suggest in the conclusion that identifying APs requires a theory of the good.

Keywords: Adaptive preferences; Autonomy; Capabilities approach; Martha Nussbaum; Development ethics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19452820902940851 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jhudca:v:10:y:2009:i:2:p:169-187

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/CJHD20

DOI: 10.1080/19452820902940851

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities is currently edited by Kathryn Rosenblum

More articles in Journal of Human Development and Capabilities from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().