Martha Nussbaum

Martha Nussbaum was born in New York, United States, in 1947. She studied at New York University and Harvard University, and then pursued research in ancient Greek philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, and classical literature. She has taught at a number of universities and is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary American philosophy.

A major part of Nussbaum’s reputation rests on developing the capabilities approach, a perspective she advanced in collaboration with the Indian economist Amartya Sen. It emphasizes that the assessment of social justice should not rest solely on income or material resources, but must also consider people’s actual opportunities to live dignified lives.

Her important works include Creating Capabilities, Poetic Justice, From Disgust to Humanity, Hiding from Humanity, and Frontiers of Justice. In these works, she addresses poverty, inequality, women’s rights, animal rights, education, moral emotions, and the limits placed on states by individual dignity.

Nussbaum argues that human emotions, such as compassion and empathy, play an important role in ethical and political life, and that a just society cannot be founded solely on calculating reason. Drawing on ancient Greek philosophy, especially Aristotle, she has also examined human flourishing and virtue.

Nussbaum’s work on human rights, feminism, global justice, and public education has had a wide impact on contemporary philosophy and the social sciences. She has received numerous scholarly awards and is considered one of the foremost philosophers of ethics and politics in the world today.