- 期刊
從M. C. Nussbaum能力取徑觀點論國家面對個人追求幸福的角色與教育的重要性
On the Role of the State Vis-à-vis Personal Pursuit of Happiness: From Nussbaum's Capabilities Approach Perspective
摘要
人人都想要幸福。鑑於運氣／機運對於幸福之真實且深遠的影響力，每個人在幸福路上的立足點與境遇並不相同，此即「幸福的脆弱性」。國家被寄予厚望，人民期待國家能發揮協助個人追求幸福的功能，尤其是面對各種不利的弱勢群體時，此一期盼愈加殷切。本文旨在探討國家為何與如何擔負此一重任，分別稱作「證成」與「方法」的問題。從Martha C. Nussbaum 能力取徑（capabilities approach, CsA）的觀點出發，首先指明國家是基於人性尊嚴與社會正義的立場而涉足個體幸福的追求。此中涉及幸福為何物的問題。尤其在自由民主社會中，能力取徑的挑戰在於：如何在尊重多元的幸福觀下，同時尋繹出幸福的共同基點以作為國家的施力點。接著指出國家協助個人追求幸福之道在於「能力提升」，尤其關注於教育在其中的關鍵角色。要言之，為了協助人民根據多元各異的觀點來追求各自的幸福，國家必須培養個人的複合能力，對抗各式運氣／機運對於個人幸福的涉入。
並列摘要
Everybody wants to be happy. However, considering that the influence of luck on happiness is real and profound, the road to happiness is not even for each person. This is termed the ＂fragility of happiness＂. Given this, the state is expected to intervene in its people's pursuit of happiness, providing special assistance to the disadvantaged in particular. This paper is aimed to make clear on what ground the state has to set foot in its people's pursuit of happiness, and what the state has to do for them. They are respectively termed the ＂justification＂ and the ＂method＂ questions. Drawing on M. C. Nussbaum's capabilities approach (CsA for short), I shall argue that social justice and equality (of human dignity) is the ground on which the state sets out to consider its responsibility for its people vis-a-vis their pursuit of happiness. An emerging crucial question is concerned with what happiness really is. CsA starts with a common ground of human happiness which is widely recognized by people with diverse conceptions of happiness. This common ground which is presented in Nussbaum's ten central human functional capabilities acts as the pivot point on which the state sets out to shoulder its responsibility. Accordingly, the ＂something＂ that the state has to do for its people is the ＂enhancement of capabilities＂. It is worth noting that even though education is not listed as a distinct item on the proposed list of human central capabilities it still has a vital role to play in the central task of enhancing people's various capabilities. For that matter, the critical function of education in the CsA is pervasive rather than being specific to any particular capability. In sum, in order to assist people to lead a flourishing and happy life in accordance with their varying conceptions of happiness, the state has to cultivate their (combined) capabilities, acting as a promising counterforce to luck's blind interference with individual pursuit of happiness.