justice and encourages the development of the economy as well as the
increment of social opportunities. Moreover, the ideals of democracy are
inherently related to human rights. The inclusion of social and economic
deprivations – which have been designated as welfare rights – into the discussion
of human rights underlines the importance of advancing capabilities as a matter
of global development (Sen, 2009:17). Sen understands human rights as an
important conversation to be included in public scrutiny, as it can encourage
fresh legislation and social activism supported by NGOs, for example.
Challenges regarding Sen’s reluctance to provide the specific requirements
to determine how capabilities should be valued – which ones should be
prioritised and why – have inevitably been raised. The deficiencies of the
normative approach compromise the possibility of advancing justice through the
evaluation of capabilities. There is a clear thread that links most of the criticisms
that have been presented to Sen, as the theoretical limitations also undermine
the critical role of democracy in his theory. It would be hard to sustain a
democratic process that enables justice without establishing the minimum
requirements to protect pluralism and political freedom (Srinivasan, 2007). In
this sense, John Rawls’s theory seems to be more accomplished in resolving
conflicting valuations of justice. But that is beyond the point: the ultimate
objective of Sen’s proposal is the enlargement of the informational basis
included in discussions of justice, which is precisely what is lacking in
transcendental approaches. Sen’s intention is not to provide a “replacement” to
the Rawlsian or any other account of justice (Arjona, et. Al, 2012). Rather, it
demands a scrutinized revaluation of ethical judgments as a starting point for
any examination of justice. In fact, his account suggests that by broadening the
scope of public discussions we have a higher chance of reaching a larger
agreement on how to advance justice in real situations, even without a general
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