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Single Idea 21019

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / c. Social contract ]

Full Idea

All contract theories, including Rawls's, assume a rough equality of physical and mental power among the participants.

Gist of Idea

Social contracts assume equal powers among the participants

Source

Martha Nussbaum (Creating Capabilities [2011], 4)

Book Ref

Nussbaum,Martha C.: 'Creating Capabilities' [Belknap Harvard 2013], p.86

Related Idea

Idea 21013 Capabilities are grounded in bare humanity and agency; qualifying as rational is not needed [Nussbaum]


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]