Martha C. Nussbaum

The philosophical writings of Martha C. Nussbaum, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, are distinguished by their synthesis of different research areas and by their treatment of current, socially controversial issues. In her ethical and political philosophy, Nussbaum gives detailed readings of works from ancient Greece and Rome, interpreting classical texts with a view to their relevance for contemporary questions. Her "capabilities-approach", developed through her work on Aristotle, has become an established part of political philosophy and of the ethics of the good life. Spurred by her involvement with international organizations, Nussbaum has also employed her philosophical program to confront and investigate ways of solving problems of social justice. In this volume, Nussbaum's work is examined in the context of current philosophical debates, with discussions other thinking on the relationship of literature and ethics, on feminism, on the politics of international development, and on the idea of cosmopolitanism.