Martha Nussbaum

Martha Nussbaum is an American philosopher and the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, where she holds appointments in the Law School and the Department of Philosophy. A prolific author, her work spans ancient Greek philosophy, political philosophy, ethics, and feminist philosophy. She is particularly renowned for developing the capabilities approach with economist Amartya Sen, a framework central to debates on human development, social justice, and international policy.

Life and career

Born in New York City, Nussbaum initially pursued a career in theatre before shifting her academic focus to classics and philosophy. She earned her bachelor's degree from New York University and her master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, where she studied under prominent scholars like G. E. L. Owen. Her early academic appointments included positions at Harvard University and Brown University before she joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1995. At Chicago, she has been a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and has taught in the Committee on Southern Asian Studies. Her career has been marked by interdisciplinary engagement, frequently collaborating with scholars in law, economics, and literary theory.

Philosophical work

Nussbaum's philosophical contributions are deeply interdisciplinary, drawing from Aristotle, the Stoics, and Immanuel Kant to address contemporary issues. Her early major work, The Fragility of Goodness, examines Greek tragedy and Plato to explore the role of luck in human flourishing. In works like Love's Knowledge and Upheavals of Thought, she argues for the cognitive value of emotions and literature in moral philosophy, challenging the dominance of purely rationalist approaches from thinkers like John Rawls. Her engagement with feminist theory is evident in books such as Sex and Social Justice, where she applies philosophical rigor to issues of gender equality, sexual orientation, and global women's rights.

Capabilities approach

The capabilities approach, co-developed with Amartya Sen, is a central pillar of Nussbaum's legacy, providing an alternative to traditional welfare economics and resource-based theories of justice like those of Rawls. Outlined in works such as Women and Human Development and Frontiers of Justice, the approach asks "What is each person able to do and to be?" It posits a list of ten central human capabilities—including life, bodily health, and practical reason—that all governments should secure for their citizens. This framework has been highly influential in shaping the Human Development Index used by the United Nations Development Programme and informs the work of organizations like Oxfam and the World Bank.

Public philosophy and influence

Nussbaum is a leading public intellectual, engaging directly with cultural and political debates. Her book Cultivating Humanity defends the value of liberal education and Socratic questioning in universities. In The New Religious Intolerance and The Monarchy of Fear, she analyzes the psychological roots of political divisions in the United States and globally. She has testified as an expert witness in landmark cases, including the Colorado Amendment 2 litigation, and her ideas on animal rights and disability justice have influenced legal scholars and activists. Her frequent contributions to publications like The New York Review of Books and The Boston Review demonstrate her commitment to accessible philosophical discourse.

Awards and recognition

Nussbaum has received numerous prestigious awards for her scholarship and public impact. In 2016, she was awarded the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, often considered Japan's highest private honor for global achievement. She received the Berggruen Prize in Philosophy & Culture in 2018. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, and has been awarded over fifty honorary degrees from institutions worldwide, including Oxford, Cambridge, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2021, she was elected to the British Academy.

Category:American philosophers Category:University of Chicago faculty Category:Kyoto Prize laureates