Nussbaum argues that philosophers can play an important political role in several ways: (1) By teaching and influencing others through Socratic questioning, (2) Conducting research and publishing arguments on political issues and structures, and (3) potentially addressing the public directly to advocate for positions, as Socrates perhaps should have done. She also discusses her "capabilities approach" which argues that governments should focus on developing people's fundamental capabilities rather than just happiness or preferences. The capabilities approach differs from utilitarianism by considering people's real opportunities and freedoms rather than just their existing preferences. Nussbaum also believes the capabilities approach should consider non-human animals.

1. Martha Nussbaum
on the political role of philosophy and
on the “capabilities” approach
Hendricks, PHIL 102, Fall 2013

2. Nussbaum on the political role of
philosophy
Teaching--what political role can philosophers play in teaching?
• do what Socrates did with those he spoke to -- how? (470)
Doing research, publishing
• research on political structures and issues, providing arguments
to address problems
• Plato (in Republic): philosophers should be rulers
• Nussbaum: “the philosopher can give excellent guidance to
statesmen through arguments about basic issues of political
goal[s] and political structure. He puts forward his proposal,
and he shows its merits by contrast with other known
proposals. In this way, he advances the search for a political
consensus” (478)

3. Nussbaum on the political role of
philosophy
Addressing the public, getting involved with politics
• Socrates didn’t do this, but probably should have:
- “to the extent that [Socrates’] gadfly effort wasn’t working, and
there were urgent questions of justice that could have been
addressed ... by public speaking rather than one-to-one
elenctic activity ... [Socrates] should have been willing to get
in there with the rhetoricians and have his say” (470-471).
• Nussbaum wavers on the issue of the obligation for
philosophers to get involved with politics
• no need to (471)
• sometimes should (479-480)

4. Nussbaum on the political role of
philosophy
From the Stoics: We can work to reduce “envy, anger and hatred”
(483)
• We can control our emotions by controlling our judgments about
things
Nussbaum: We can get rid of hatred of people because of their
gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, etc, by changing our beliefs
• Do this through education, especially early childhood
• Structure institutions and write laws and policies to express
equality of humans

5. Why look back to ancient Greece & Rome?
Why look for models for political role of philosophy from ancient
times, rather than more contemporary ones?
• Perhaps because thinking of philosophy as being a practical
activity, as a “way of life” for individuals and something that
could make politics better, was more common in ancient
Greece and Rome (465)
• But she does also mention contemporary philosophers who
play a political role as well...why not just stick to them?
• One possibility: Rhetorically suggesting that philosophy should
be more practical, as the ancients saw it

6. An example of Nussbaum’s political role as a
philosopher: The Capabilities Approach
• Starts Creating Capabilities: The Human Development
Approach (2011) with the story of Vasanti...
• What might it do to begin talking about the Capabilities approach
with a story like this?
India 2011-07-18 at
07-24-24, Flickr
photo by José
Antonio Morcillo,
licensed CC-BY

7. The Capabilities Approach: basics
• A way to consider how to make human lives better: ask what
capabilities people have in particular places and whether they have all
they should
• Nussbaum provides a list of ten central capabilities that all humans
should have (handout)
• “there are certain functions that are particularly central in human life, in
the sense that their presence or absence is typically understood to be
a mark of the presence or absence of human life” (“Capabilities and
Social Justice” 130)
• “human abilities exert a moral claim that they should be developed)
(“Capabilities and Social Justice” 131)

8. The ten central capabilities (handout)
• Capabilities: what people are “able to do and to be”
(“Capabilities and Social Justice” 129). Include both:
• abilities within people: “internal states of readiness to act”
(132)
• opportunities and freedoms to act: the social, economic,
political situation allows people to be able to express their
capabilities
• e.g., for #6: do people have both the freedom and ability to
choose their own values, guide their own lives according to
these?
• what is needed for people to have this ability?

9. The ten central capabilities (handout)
• Functioning: “active realization of one or more capabilities”
(Creating Capabilities Chapter 2, p. 25 (optional reading))
• Focus here is on capabilities, not functioning--why? (See
“Capabilities and Social Justice” 132-133)
• Where does this list come from? Is it culturally specific?
• product of international discussions
• provisional, open to change through further discussion
• governments can specify these differently if they choose
(“Capabilities and Social Justice” 133)

10. The ten central capabilities (handout)
• Discuss in pairs:
1. How do you think Canada is doing in terms of providing
these ten central capabilities to all persons?
2. Are there some that would be difficult to implement? Which
and why?

11. Difference between capabilities
approach & utilitarianism
• Utilitarians also try to make human lives better; they do so by
trying to produce as much happiness as possible
• how does Nussbaum’s approach differ?
• Nussbaum thinks the capabilities approach is better than a
utilitarian one--why might that be?
• A utilitarian may take people’s preferences as they are and
ask how to satisfy them (“Capabilities and Social Justice” 127-
128)--why could this be a problem?
• Would Singer’s approach to global poverty be problematic in
this way?

12. The capabilities approach and animals
• We should consider the capabilities of animals as well as
humans:
• “the capabilities of all sentient creatures count as ends in
themselves, and all should attain capabilities above some
specified threshold” (Creating Capabilities, chapter 8 (not
assigned))
• “we should be attentive to the form of life of each species, and
promote, for each, the opportunity to live and act according to
that species’ form of life” (ibid.)
• Utilitarianism could allow for significant harm and suffering for
animals, if it were outweighed by human happiness