In search of an alternative to utilitarianism: resources or capabilities?

Abstract

This paper's aim is, by bibliographical research, to compare three distinct theories of justice: utilitarianism, Ronald Dworkin's resources egalitarianism and Amartya Sen's capabilities approach. We determined the insufficiency of utilitarianism's perspective because it obscures the plurality contained in the complex human values, it neglects the role of agency in moral and ethics and it relies in a blindly calculating methodology. Dwokin in resources egalitarianism encompasses a test to assert the equity of resources distribution between people belonging to a society. Sen creates a theory focused in people's capabilities to live the life they value, transferring the focus from the means to the ends. We conclude that the resources and capabilities dimensions should be reciprocally explored in each of these authors, in order to avoid the negligence to those factors that influence the conversion of income in quality of life and to push away the risks of the consolidation of a paternalistic State.