On Justice: Sen & Nussbaum

Course Duration: 3 January - 21 February, 2012: A series of six weekly lectures (on Tuesdays)

By: Jay Drydyk, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Carleton University, Ottawa

Challenging Theories of Justice: The Capability Approaches of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum - This series of lectures/discussions focuses on challenges posed to prevailing liberal theories of justice (especially that of John Rawls) by the capability approach as developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. The first three sessions will be devoted to the capability concepts that Sen introduced to provide an alternative ‘informational base’ for social choice and deliberation, followed by his arguments that social contract theories are neither necessary nor sufficient nor even very useful for achieving greater justice in the world. Then attention shifts to Martha Nussbaum’s arguments that social contract approaches are typically unable to account for injustices to disabled persons, to global injustice, or to injustices towards non-humans - the three ‘frontiers of justice’. Readings and discussion questions will be proposed for each session.

Reading List

1. Sen, 'Equality of What?' [chapter 1] of Inequality Reexamined, 1992.

2. Sen, 'Capability and Well-being' [chapter 2] of The Quality of Life, [eds] Sen and Nussbaum, 1993.

3. Sen, 'Introduction', The Idea of Justice, 2009.

4. Nussbaum, 'Social Contracts and Three Unsolved Problems of Justice', [chapter 1] of Frontiers of Justice, 2006, pp. 9-35.

5. Nussbaum, 'Social Contracts and Three Unsolved Problems of Justice', [chapter 1] of Frontiers of Justice, 2006, pp. 35-69.

6. Nussbaum, 'Social Contracts and Three Unsolved Problems of Justice', [chapter 1] of Frontiers of Justice, 2006, pp. 69-95.

To register for this course please email silikamohapatra@gmail.com

There are no registration or course charges. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate of participation.