Martha C. Nussbaum

Nussbaum's capabilities approach asks what people are actually able to do and be, not just how much money they have. In Creating Capabilities, published in 2011, she presents a list of central human capabilities.

Nussbaum developed the capabilities approach alongside and in dialogue with economist Amartya Sen. Sen's work emphasizes comparative assessments, while Nussbaum gives a more specific philosophical list.

Nussbaum argues that novels and drama can sharpen moral perception by showing particular lives in detail. Books such as Love's Knowledge connect ethics with literary interpretation.

Nussbaum has written on law, animal rights, feminism, political emotions, religion, and ancient Greek philosophy. Her work often links academic philosophy with public policy.