Necesidades

Una revisión hacia la noción de capacidades

Abstract

The concept of necessity can have different interpretation. Some definitions for that term are presented and discussed in this paper. It will be argued here that necessities can be motivations or sudden urgent impulses for people that can rise from personal preferences as well as libertarian or utilitarian convictions. It is presented here an analysis of different aspects of the term in question and of different viewpoints of the capacities approach building upon John Rawls’ Theory of Justice and the Theory of Development. The capacities approach argues that the distribution of goods should be done in accordance with the necessities people have to exert their ‘functionings’ for the transformation of the reception of such goods in full exertion of people’s values which are different for each individual. The capacities approach differs from evaluations based on mere indicators of inequalities in material prosperity and possessions. For the analysis of people’s well being it is necessary to specify which are the ‘effectivities’ that matter for the individuals and which are the capacities of realisation that are connected with their basic motivation.