ABSTRACT
To satisfy human needs we need a theoretical understanding of how this moral imperative can be interpreted and operationalized. Early contributions in this field focused on basic needs: people must be provided with the means to avoid poverty and deprivations. However, as argued by Amartya Sen, people must also be provided with an enhanced set of capabilities to do things they have reason to value. Recent research has challenged and extended Sen’s capability approach. We use this approach to argue for two key sustainability themes on human needs: eradicating extreme poverty and enhancing human capabilities.
