Capability and Pragmatism: Between Social Sciences and Social Philosophy

This international workshop is jointly organized by the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, the French Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS-Paris), and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). It aims to bring together scholars from philosophy and the social sciences to explore the theoretical and the empirical potential of capability studies today. Three main research themes will be explored during the two-day workshop: the relevance of the capability approach for deliberative democracy, human rights, and self-government; the social relevance of capabilities and their social embeddedness; and the economic dimension of capabilities, addressing vulnerability and empowerment. All these dimensions will be explored having in view the overall theme of the possible interactions, overlaps, and influences between the capability approach and the pragmatist tradition.Further information