Sen is not a capability theorist

Antoinette Baujard and Muriel Gilardone

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Abstract: This paper aims to clarify the status of capability in Sen's idea of justice. Sen's name is so widely associated with the concept of capability that commentators often assume that his contribution to the study of justice amounts to a capability theory, albeit underdeveloped. We argue that such a reading is misleading. Taking Sen's reticence about operationalization seriously, we show that his contribution is inconsistent with a capability theory. Instead, we defend the idea that the capability approach plays a heuristic role: capability is a step in his argument against alternative materials, but is not meant as a definitive end. Sen defends a critical perspective primarily to encourage public reasoning and respect for agency as regards the definition of what should count in the evaluation of social states.

Keywords: agency; operationalization; justice; capability theory; paternalism; Capability; public reasoning; welfarism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01885065v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

Published in Journal of Economic Methodology, 2017, 24 (1), pp.1-19. ⟨10.1080/1350178X.2016.1257821⟩

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Related works:
Journal Article: Sen is not a capability theorist (2017)
Working Paper: Sen is not a capability theorist (2016)
Working Paper: Sen is not a capability theorist (2015)
Working Paper: Sen is not a capability theorist (2015)
Working Paper: Sen is not a capability theorist (2015)
Working Paper: Sen is not a capability theorist (2015)
Working Paper: Sen is not a capability theorist (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01885065

DOI: 10.1080/1350178X.2016.1257821

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