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Single Idea 21008

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics ]

Full Idea

The role of political liberalism in my theory requires me to prescind from offering any comprehensive account of value.

Gist of Idea

Liberalism does not need a comprehensive account of value

Source

Martha Nussbaum (Creating Capabilities [2011], 2)

Book Ref

Nussbaum,Martha C.: 'Creating Capabilities' [Belknap Harvard 2013], p.19


A Reaction

Obviously liberalism has values, but they are the minimum ones of freedom and respect. Liberals have to tolerate some fairly ugly and miserable societies. Can liberals intervene in family life?


The 19 ideas from 'Creating Capabilities'

Storytelling is never neutral; some features of the world must be emphasised [Nussbaum]
Capabilities: Life, Health, Safety, Mental life, Love, Planning, Joining in, Nature, Play, Control [Nussbaum, by PG]
Justice requires that the ten main capabilities of people are reasonably enabled [Nussbaum]
Liberalism does not need a comprehensive account of value [Nussbaum]
We shouldn't focus on actual preferences, which may be distorted by injustices [Nussbaum]
Women are often treated like children, and not respected for their choices [Nussbaum]
Negative liberty is incoherent; all liberties, to do and to be, require the prevention of interference [Nussbaum]
Capabilities are grounded in bare humanity and agency; qualifying as rational is not needed [Nussbaum]
Rights are not just barriers against state interference; governments must affirm capabilities of citizens [Nussbaum]
Political and civil rights are not separate from economic and social rights [Nussbaum]
Social contracts assume equal powers among the participants [Nussbaum]
Any establishment belief system is incompatible with full respect for all citizens [Nussbaum]
Political freedom is an incoherent project, because some freedoms limit other freedoms [Nussbaum]
The Capabilities Approach sees animals as agents, not just as having feelings [Nussbaum]
Keep premises as weak as possible, to avoid controversial difficulties [Nussbaum]
Particularism gives no guidance for the future [Nussbaum]
We should respect animals in the way that we respect the animal nature in humans [Nussbaum]
It may be no harm to kill an animal which cannot plan for its future [Nussbaum]
Compassion is unreliable, because it favours people close to us [Nussbaum]