ABSTRACT
It is quite common among the capability theorists to identify Aristotle and Aristotelianism as the philosophical foundations and a source of inspiration for the capability approach. More than any other capability theorist, it is Nussbaum who clarifies this conceptual connection and develops a hybrid theory of capabilities that blends Aristotle’s focus on valuable human functionings with the liberal doctrines of moral equality and universal human dignity. In doing so, Nussbaum places herself in the company of a wider group of philosophers who want to rejuvenate Aristotelian insights to confront contemporary problems. As far as Nussbaum’s hermeneutical trajectory is concerned, a close textual study of the relevant parts of Aristotle’s Ethics, Politics and On Rhetoric reveals at least three areas to be important points of reference for the capability approach.
