Abstract

CALVO, Cristina. Ethics of capacities and human development in businesses. SaberEs [online]. 2016, vol.8, n.2, pp.71-89. ISSN 1852-4418.

One of the clearest and strongest messages arising from the present time of crisis is the economical and ethical insufficiency of an individualism that confines a large portion of mankind to exclusion. Market economy, in order to keep yielding fruits of civilization, requires a supplement of humanity, - an anthropologic and ethical re-founding that transforms it into a system serving both people's lives and the planet's. Given the importance of moving forward towards the determination of capabilities that might have intercultural validity for normative purposes, the American philosopher Martha Nussbaum, inspired in Sen, elaborates a list of central capabilities, based on Aristotle, and as a ground proposal for public policies. In this sense, the notion of capability can be considered a way of speaking of "good life" or "human flourishing". But other forms of corporate organization are also required that, both internally and externally, may consolidate as privileged places, promoters of relations, reciprocity and decent living on a planetary scale. Profound changes are needed: concentrating on the business's own mission (its reason to be), without focusing exclusively on results, but rather on ways of acting and relating to the community. How we approach the multifactorial ethical issue of economy as a whole and its actors, will determine our ability to build lifestyles with greater fairness and equity than the current ones.

Keywords : Capabilities; Human Development; Ethics.

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