Martha Nussbaum

~ What are the central human capabilities?

Martha C Nussbaum is a professor at the University of Chicago, where she teaches literature and philosophy. During her teaching career Nussbaum wrote a novel called “The Central Human Functional Capabilities”. Throughout her book she expresses not in what a person really does, but what they should be in titled too. For example, she believes that all people should get the chance to live a long live, that everyone should have the choice to get an education, that everyone should be able to eat enough for themselves, that all people should have the choice to live in a home unless they choose not to do so (Nussbaum). This is all called central human functional capabilities. In her book Nussbaum makes a list of ten things she believes that people should have a choice to in during that life. After reading this novel I really find myself supporting in what Nussbaum is trying to say. I know some of the things on the list are something we can not control, but there still are some things as people we can. I believe that if I had a decision to choose to live like we are now, or choose to live with the ability of the central human functional capabilities, I would choose CHFC but wouldn’t. Martha Nussbaum wrote a very good novel and I feel that this is one of the better readings that I have read during this class. The things that she discusses are very good points and she expresses her feelings very well throughout the book.