Capability approach

The capability approach (also referred to as the capabilities approach) is a normative approach to human welfare that concentrates on the actual capability of persons to achieve lives they value rather than solely having a right or freedom to do so.^[1] It was conceived in the 1980s as an alternative approach to welfare economics.^[2]

In this approach, Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum combine a range of ideas that were previously excluded from (or inadequately formulated in) traditional approaches to welfare economics. The core focus of the capability approach is improving access to the tools people use to live a fulfilling life.^[1]^[3]

^ ^a ^b Robeyns, Ingrid (2016), "The Capability Approach", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2016 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-01-17
^ Sen, Amartya (1985). Commodities and capabilities. Amsterdam New York New York, N.Y., U.S.A: North-Holland Sole distributors for the U.S.A. and Canada, Elsevier Science Pub. Co. ISBN 9780444877307.
^ Cite error: The named reference Sen1999_291 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Stanford-1] Robeyns, Ingrid (2016), "The Capability Approach", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2016 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-01-17

[Sen1985-2] Sen, Amartya (1985). Commodities and capabilities. Amsterdam New York New York, N.Y., U.S.A: North-Holland Sole distributors for the U.S.A. and Canada, Elsevier Science Pub. Co. ISBN 9780444877307.

[Sen1999_291-3] Cite error: The named reference Sen1999_291 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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