POLI 319 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Distributive Justice, Bodily Integrity, Reproductive Health
13 May 2018
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Department
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Professor
Lecture 10: February 16th
POLI363
CONT. of last class
So what is the Fundamental currency of distributive justice?
—The extent to which each individual possesses certain basic or central
capabilities, where these are understood as opportunities to do certain things and/
or to be a certain kind of person. Realizations-
—Even before coming up with the specific list of those capabilities that are most
relevant to distributive justice, we can predict that these will be multifarious, that
each of them will be independently important (that is, they wont all be reducible to
some single overarching consideration that they will be complexly inter-related.
This is the moral of Nassbaum’s extended discussion of Vasanti.
—Gives a specific list- factors that we need to see independently.
—Start with the actual complexity of real peoples lives
For Discussion:
-What should be on the list of capabilities that matter for distributive justice? Are
any of these intuitive candidates things that equality of welfare/primary goods/
resources seem genuinely unable to accomodate.
Nussbaum’s Central Capabilities:
—Life: not dying prematurely (before one has lived a full human life-span)- the
ideal that people can reach the end
—Bodily Health: Opportunity to enjoy good health (including reproductive health,
access to shelter and adequate nourishment
—Bodily integrity: Freedom of movement, security against assault, reproductive
choice, opportunities for sexual satisfaction
—Senses, imagination, and thought: Ability to use one’s imaginative/sensory
apparatus in a fully human way (requiring education, freedom of expression, access
to sources of enjoyment)
—Emotions: Opportunities to form genuine emotional attachments to people and
things.
—Practical Reason: Ability to form, revise and pursue one’s own conception of the
good/rational life-plan.
—Affiliation: Capacity to enjoy interpersonal relationships and interactions founded
on mutual respect and recognition of shared human dignity
—Other species: Opportunity to interact with and form connection with other
animals
—Play: Leisure-time to engage in games/ sport/ other recreational activities
—Control over one’s environment, both political and material: Ability to vote and
engage in other forms of political participation/ expression, being guaranteed
property rights and equal opportunity of employment.
Some Important Notions:
Document Summary
The extent to which each individual possesses certain basic or central capabilities, where these are understood as opportunities to do certain things and/ or to be a certain kind of person. This is the moral of nassbaum"s extended discussion of vasanti. Gives a speci c list- factors that we need to see independently. Start with the actual complexity of real peoples lives. Are any of these intuitive candidates things that equality of welfare/primary goods/ resources seem genuinely unable to accomodate. Life: not dying prematurely (before one has lived a full human life-span)- the ideal that people can reach the end. Bodily health: opportunity to enjoy good health (including reproductive health, access to shelter and adequate nourishment. Bodily integrity: freedom of movement, security against assault, reproductive choice, opportunities for sexual satisfaction. Senses, imagination, and thought: ability to use one"s imaginative/sensory apparatus in a fully human way (requiring education, freedom of expression, access to sources of enjoyment)
