Creating Capabilities – Martha Nussbaum

If a country's Gross Domestic Product increases each year, but so does the percentage of its people deprived of basic education, health care, and other opportunities, is that country really making progress? If we rely on conventional economic indicators, can we ever grasp how the world's billions of individuals are really managing?

In this video and in her new book, Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach, Martha Nussbaum argues that our dominant theories of development have given us policies that ignore our most basic human needs for dignity and self-respect.

As an alternative to metrics like GDP, Nussbaum and the other members of the Human Development and Capability Association suggest that we should be asking what each human is actually capable of being and doing.

Creating Capabilities is now available in paperback!

[Helljumper]

I have an exam in an hour for my philosophy class. I haven't read the book, YouTube is right now is my salvation.

[Faiz]

Trust me, all of us watching have an exam tomorrow. Good luck!

[Machiones]

I wish I could immerse myself with people like this woman.

[artlessons]

Nice to hear of the application of the concepts of Aristotle!

[AzamjonMusashaykhov]

It is of crucial importance to note that economists themselves recognize the inadequacy of precision and accuracy in GDP measurement — such as the preclusion of black market transactions and transactions arising from products that are being resold (used goods) or services that are being rendered to one's self (you fix your own sink in contrast to some other's). The only reason, however, why it is so universally used is that there is in fact no unit of measurement more fastidious than GDP, as the measurement itself arose circa the Great Depression. I am all the while inclined to think that an improvement is in the works.

And Ms. Nussbaum mentioned the case of China and its high GDP. While it is true that China's economy in terms of GDP is comparably higher, its GDP per capita—or per person—is still relatively meager. Bear in mind China's preponderance in population size. Its high GDP is due to the aggregation of its colossal populace, but in proportion to each citizen, the figures lose their intensity.

[nathanrasmussen]

What is the name of the piano song in the beginning?

[bklamsal]

Thank you for sharing your great knowledge, you are the philosopher of 21st century

[bettinaberger]

How far this discussion is related to the current dicussion about health literacy - very often limited to onle some aspects without taking into consideration the complexity of capabilities messesary to stay as healthy as appropriate

[rileysimmons]

Good luck to everyone who has paper 2 for IB Philosophy 😭

[GirlsSociety]

I would think GDP growth is still important even if some groups of people are left behind.

[TheDionysianFields]

That got better as it went. The first half seemed a little to lefty libby. Also, it was weird how she connected fasting to unhealthiness.

[Helljumper]

I have an exam in an hour for my philosophy class. I haven't read the book, YouTube is right now is my salvation.