 Democracy, Philosophy, and the Selection of CapabilitiesMorten Fibieger Byskov Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 2017, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-16 Abstract: A key task within the capability approach is the selection of relevant capabilities. The question of how to select capabilities has divided capability theorists into two camps: those who argue that it is a philosophical task and those who argue that it is a matter for the public. In this paper, I argue that this distinction between philosophy and democracy is counterproductive to the operationalization of the capability approach. On the one hand, proponents of the philosophical position overestimate the need for philosophical theorizing when selecting capabilities. On the other hand, proponents of the democratic positions can benefit from addressing issues raised by philosophers. I conclude that rather than making the philosophical position more democratically sensitive, we should search out ways in which philosophy can reinforce democratic processes in general and in relation to the selection of capabilities in particular. Date: 2017 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jhudca:v:18:y:2017:i:1:p:1-16 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from DOI: 10.1080/19452829.2015.1091809 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 |
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