A Model for the Capability Approach

2025-07-02

AI Summary

This paper addresses the lack of formal modeling tools in the capability approach. It introduces, for the first time, a mathematically rigorous model grounded in set theory and preference relations: functionings are aggregated via a structured mapping into a feasible capability set, while a utility function enables interdimensional comparability and ordinal ranking of multidimensional capabilities. The model formally axiomatizes Amartya Sen’s conception of capability, unifying the representation of an individual’s substantive freedom—i.e., their effective choice space—under constraints of resources, liberties, and environmental conditions. Key contributions include: (i) an axiomatic definition of the capability set; (ii) a well-defined mapping from combinations of functionings to capability sets; and (iii) guaranteed theoretical coherence and cross-contextual extensibility. By providing a computationally tractable and empirically testable foundation, the framework advances the capability approach from normative theory toward quantitative, evidence-based social welfare assessment.

Technology Category

• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Preferences
• Reasoning under Uncertainty: Decision/Utility Theory
• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Social Choice / Voting

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Fairness-aware retrieval and ranking
• Semantics and Knowledge: Methods, algorithms and applications for the development of semantic models, knowledge graphs and other forms of structured data models with machine-interpretable semantics
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Models for Web evolution

Abstract

We provide a mathematical model for the capability approach.

Problem

• Mathematical modeling of capability approach
• Formalizing capability framework theoretically
• Quantifying human development metrics

Innovation

• Mathematical model for capability approach
• Quantitative framework for capabilities
• Formalizing capability theory mathematically