ABSTRACT
As described by other contributors to this volume, the idea of ‘capability’, promoted in the work of Sen, is defined as the freedom to achieve valuable ‘beings’ and ‘doings’ (see Chapter 2 and Sen 1987b). ‘Freedom’ is deemed to be both a process, and an opportunity. The process aspect relates to the ability to be an agent, that is, to affect the processes at work in one’s own life or in the workings of society. The ‘opportunity’ aspect relates to the ability to achieve valued functionings. The ‘good life’ is a life of genuine choice among alternative sets of functionings, and an ability to obtain functionings of one’s choice. This reference to freedom of choice makes the concept of capability a particularly valuable one for economists. The Capability Approach allows us to call for egalitarian rights in access to functionings, without requiring strict equality in resource allocation. It also enables us to measure well-being beyond money-based development indicators, such as Gross National Product (GNP).
