Flourishing and Essential Capacities
I have previously argued that human flourishing partly consists in the ability to exercise essential human capacities, many of which are non-distinctive and shared with other animals. The concept of flourishing is itself species-specific. Thus, the development of essential capacities (human and nonh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen Languages
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Philosophical Investigations |
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| Online Access: | https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_17517_4589fd52b0d5d09d37d24ea540cedf75.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797337869091602432 |
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| author | Robin Attfield |
| author_facet | Robin Attfield |
| author_sort | Robin Attfield |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | I have previously argued that human flourishing partly consists in the ability to exercise essential human capacities, many of which are non-distinctive and shared with other animals. The concept of flourishing is itself species-specific. Thus, the development of essential capacities (human and nonhuman) comprises a large part of the goods that we ought to promote. Problems about the definition of ‘essential’ are discussed, as are related issues about whether there are necessary and sufficient conditions for the correct use of sortal universal terms. The relation of the exercise of essential capacities to basic needs is investigated, and the essential nature of the human capacity for meaningful work, which has been disputed by John White, is defended. Finally, some suggestions are offered about what the proponents of the capabilities approach might derive from that of essential capacities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:22:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f8726082e3a4c35ad748229be6cbf74 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2251-7960 2423-4419 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:22:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen Languages |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Philosophical Investigations |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f8726082e3a4c35ad748229be6cbf742024-01-31T11:03:20ZengUniversity of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen LanguagesJournal of Philosophical Investigations2251-79602423-44192023-12-01174534736010.22034/jpiut.2023.1751717517Flourishing and Essential CapacitiesRobin Attfield0Professor of Philosophy, Cardiff University, Christ Church, Stellenbosch University, University of Oxford, UKI have previously argued that human flourishing partly consists in the ability to exercise essential human capacities, many of which are non-distinctive and shared with other animals. The concept of flourishing is itself species-specific. Thus, the development of essential capacities (human and nonhuman) comprises a large part of the goods that we ought to promote. Problems about the definition of ‘essential’ are discussed, as are related issues about whether there are necessary and sufficient conditions for the correct use of sortal universal terms. The relation of the exercise of essential capacities to basic needs is investigated, and the essential nature of the human capacity for meaningful work, which has been disputed by John White, is defended. Finally, some suggestions are offered about what the proponents of the capabilities approach might derive from that of essential capacities.https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_17517_4589fd52b0d5d09d37d24ea540cedf75.pdfflourishinghuman goodessential capacitiesconflicting theories of universal termsbasic needsmeaningful workconsequentialismthe capabilities approach |
| spellingShingle | Robin Attfield Flourishing and Essential Capacities Journal of Philosophical Investigations flourishing human good essential capacities conflicting theories of universal terms basic needs meaningful work consequentialism the capabilities approach |
| title | Flourishing and Essential Capacities |
| title_full | Flourishing and Essential Capacities |
| title_fullStr | Flourishing and Essential Capacities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flourishing and Essential Capacities |
| title_short | Flourishing and Essential Capacities |
| title_sort | flourishing and essential capacities |
| topic | flourishing human good essential capacities conflicting theories of universal terms basic needs meaningful work consequentialism the capabilities approach |
| url | https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_17517_4589fd52b0d5d09d37d24ea540cedf75.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robinattfield flourishingandessentialcapacities |