Capabilities in a Just Society

A new theory of social justice arguing that people have rights to the core human capabilities necessary for 'navigational agency'.

Proposes a new philosophical theory of social justice, based on the idea that citizens in a just society are entitled to a set of core human capabilities. It argues that core capabilities are those that enable people to become 'navigational agents,' individuals who can navigate freely between different social practices.What sort of entitlements should citizens have in a just society? In this book, Rutger Claassen sets out a theory of what he terms 'navigational agency', whereby citizens should be able to navigate freely between social practices. This shows how individuals can be at the same time free and autonomous in striving for their own goals in life, but also embedded in social practices in which they have to cooperate with others. He argues that for navigational agency, people need three sets of core capabilities: those which allow human empowerment in civil society, a decent level of socio-economic subsistence, and political participation in democratic decision-making procedures. The idea of navigational agency, the book argues, provides an alternative to currently dominant versions of the capability approach to social justice, and strengthens its liberal foundations.