2005/07/01 by Amartya Sen · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Political Philosophy and Ethics #Philosophical Ethics and Theory #Impartiality #Human rights #Scrutiny #Objectivity (philosophy) #Fundamental rights #Political science #Law and economics #Process (computing) #Law #Sociology #Epistemology #Computer science #Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1080/14649880500120491
openalex publication_date 2005/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
The two concepts — human rights and capabilities — go well with each other, so long as we do not try to subsume either concept entirely within the territory of the other. There are many human rights that can be seen as rights to particular capabilities. However, human rights to important process freedoms cannot be adequately analysed within the capability framework. Furthermore, both human rights and capabilities have to depend on the process of public reasoning. The methodology of public scrutiny draws on Rawlsian understanding of ‘objectivity’ in ethics, but the impartiality that is needed cannot be confined within the borders of a nation. Public reasoning without territorial confinement is important for both.