Defending Well-being as an Educational Aim: Insights from the Capability Approach

Lorella Terzi

doi:10.1093/jopedu/qhaf027

Defending Well-being as an Educational Aim: Insights from the Capability Approach

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Abstract

Several perspectives in the philosophy and theory of education promote human flourishing or well-being as the central aim of education. Education, they argue, should equip children to lead good lives, i.e., lives broadly characterised by autonomous choices, engagement in worthwhile activities, and the fulfilment of one’s goals. The currency of flourishing as the central aim of education, however, has been recently critiqued on ground of its overall unfeasibility. Some critics maintain that since flourishing is not something that can be learned, and its achievement requires more than educators can provide for, the aim of flourishing goes beyond the scope of educational institutions, and it exceeds the responsibility and remits of teachers. Drawing on the core concepts of Amartya Sen’s capability approach – an ethical approach focused on well-being and freedom - this article posits that the critique of unfeasibility is not warranted. Sen’s account of well-being in terms of functionings and capability, and the normative commitment to expanding a person’s capability, focus attention on the role of education in this process, as one of the institutional ‘sites’ for the pursuit of well-being and justice. The approach thus supports and justifies identifying well-being as the overarching aim of education, while maintaining goals of developing functionings and capabilities specific to education.

Original language	English
Journal	JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/jopedu/qhaf027
Publication status	Published - 26 Apr 2025

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10.1093/jopedu/qhaf027

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title = "Defending Well-being as an Educational Aim: Insights from the Capability Approach",

abstract = "Several perspectives in the philosophy and theory of education promote human flourishing or well-being as the central aim of education. Education, they argue, should equip children to lead good lives, i.e., lives broadly characterised by autonomous choices, engagement in worthwhile activities, and the fulfilment of one{\textquoteright}s goals. The currency of flourishing as the central aim of education, however, has been recently critiqued on ground of its overall unfeasibility. Some critics maintain that since flourishing is not something that can be learned, and its achievement requires more than educators can provide for, the aim of flourishing goes beyond the scope of educational institutions, and it exceeds the responsibility and remits of teachers. Drawing on the core concepts of Amartya Sen{\textquoteright}s capability approach – an ethical approach focused on well-being and freedom - this article posits that the critique of unfeasibility is not warranted. Sen{\textquoteright}s account of well-being in terms of functionings and capability, and the normative commitment to expanding a person{\textquoteright}s capability, focus attention on the role of education in this process, as one of the institutional {\textquoteleft}sites{\textquoteright} for the pursuit of well-being and justice. The approach thus supports and justifies identifying well-being as the overarching aim of education, while maintaining goals of developing functionings and capabilities specific to education.",

author = "Lorella Terzi",

year = "2025",

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day = "26",

doi = "10.1093/jopedu/qhaf027",

language = "English",

journal = "JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION",

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publisher = "Wiley",

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AU - Terzi, Lorella

PY - 2025/4/26

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N2 - Several perspectives in the philosophy and theory of education promote human flourishing or well-being as the central aim of education. Education, they argue, should equip children to lead good lives, i.e., lives broadly characterised by autonomous choices, engagement in worthwhile activities, and the fulfilment of one’s goals. The currency of flourishing as the central aim of education, however, has been recently critiqued on ground of its overall unfeasibility. Some critics maintain that since flourishing is not something that can be learned, and its achievement requires more than educators can provide for, the aim of flourishing goes beyond the scope of educational institutions, and it exceeds the responsibility and remits of teachers. Drawing on the core concepts of Amartya Sen’s capability approach – an ethical approach focused on well-being and freedom - this article posits that the critique of unfeasibility is not warranted. Sen’s account of well-being in terms of functionings and capability, and the normative commitment to expanding a person’s capability, focus attention on the role of education in this process, as one of the institutional ‘sites’ for the pursuit of well-being and justice. The approach thus supports and justifies identifying well-being as the overarching aim of education, while maintaining goals of developing functionings and capabilities specific to education.

AB - Several perspectives in the philosophy and theory of education promote human flourishing or well-being as the central aim of education. Education, they argue, should equip children to lead good lives, i.e., lives broadly characterised by autonomous choices, engagement in worthwhile activities, and the fulfilment of one’s goals. The currency of flourishing as the central aim of education, however, has been recently critiqued on ground of its overall unfeasibility. Some critics maintain that since flourishing is not something that can be learned, and its achievement requires more than educators can provide for, the aim of flourishing goes beyond the scope of educational institutions, and it exceeds the responsibility and remits of teachers. Drawing on the core concepts of Amartya Sen’s capability approach – an ethical approach focused on well-being and freedom - this article posits that the critique of unfeasibility is not warranted. Sen’s account of well-being in terms of functionings and capability, and the normative commitment to expanding a person’s capability, focus attention on the role of education in this process, as one of the institutional ‘sites’ for the pursuit of well-being and justice. The approach thus supports and justifies identifying well-being as the overarching aim of education, while maintaining goals of developing functionings and capabilities specific to education.

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