Capabilities, civic friendship and well-being

Capabilities approach proposed by Martha Nussbaum gives a normative framework that provides a promising account of human well-being. Well- being, as a neo-Aristotelian term, is established as a list of human capabilities that capture the essence of a human nature and its potentials. Basic capabilities are: (1) ability to live, (2) physical health, (3) bodily integrity, (4) senses, imagination and thought, (5) emotions, (6) reason, (7) affiliation, (8) other species, (9) play, and (10) environmental control. This potential has to be actualized in regards to individual choices and personal reasons to favour specific ‘functionings’ and value them over some other. However, what seems to be puzzling within this picture is the role of others or community and interests of others for achieving our own well-being. Namely, how should we treat other human beings in order to achieve our own interest, i.e. individual well-being? Our proposal is to put forward idea of ‘civic friendship’ as a central to Nussbaum’s general capability for affiliation. Civic friendship refers to political relation among citizens of plural political community. Since it refers to political relation it cannot be characterized by affection which is characteristic for personal friendship. Also, since it refers to relation among citizens in plural community it should not be based on any particular identity such as religion or ethnicity, but on relation among citizens through shared institutions of political community. Civic friendship is thus characterized by the following features: basic concern for others (public provision of various services that are needed for citizens to realize their capabilities) ; relational equality (standing with others on equal terms which includes respecting conceptions of good that are in contrast to ours and also respecting conceptions of good that do not pass well on market) ; trust (cooperation that avoids stigmatization and marginalization) ; practical doing for others (network of non-state and non-market organizations that help individuals in realizing their capabilities).