On the Concept of Dignity in the Capability Approach: A personalistic Perspective

Abstract

The central task of my doctoral research project is to develop a distinctive account on the philosophical uses of the concept of dignity, which is a key-concept in Martha Nussbaum‘s philosophical version of the capability approach. With regard to the role of this concept as foundational point of reference for all central claims, I think that we should not neglect the lack of a systematical and exhaustible account on what human dignity exactly means.
Due to the central role of that concept in the capability approach, I disagree with Nussbaum who seems to assume that it is enough to have only an intuitive understanding of that concept.