Publication: Bireysel özgürlük ve kültürel özgürlük tartışmalarına katkı olarak Amartya Sen’in kapasite yaklaşımı
Abstract
Kapasite Yaklaşımı ÖZET BİREYSEL ÖZGÜRLÜK VE KÜLTÜREL ÖZGÜRLÜK TARTIŞMALARINA KATKI OLARAK AMARTYA SEN’İN KAPASİTE YAKLAŞIMI Günümüz dünyasında küreselleşmenin etkisiyle kültürel kimlikler çeşitlenip çoğalmakta, kültürel kimliklerle ilgili bilimsel çalışmalar toplulukların kültürel haklarıyla ilgilenmekte ama insanların birey olarak özgürlüklerini ilgi alanlarının dışında bırakmakta, bu yüzden insanların özgürlüklerinin en önemli yönlerinden biri olan topluluk karşısındaki özgürlükleriyle ilgilenmeyi ihmâl etmektedir. Bu tespitler temelinde, kültürel haklar kavramını kullananların ihmâl ettiği sorunu çözümleme gücüne sahip bir yaklaşım geliştirilmesi gereği önemle ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu amaçla, bu tezde Amartya Sen’in kapasite yaklaşımı değerlendirmeye çalışılmıştır. Kapasite, insanların arzu ettikleri yaşam şeklini gerçekleştirebilmelerini sağlayan fırsatların toplamını ifade etmektedir. İnsanların özgürleşebilmesi için, öncelikle kendilerine bazı fırsatların sağlanması gerektiği düşüncesini içermektedir. Ayrıca, insanların potansiyel olarak özgürlüğe eğilimli olduğu düşüncesini içermektedir. Bütün mesele, insanların kapasitelerini artırmaktır. Bu sayede, önceden özgürlüğü önemsemeyen insanlar bile özgürlüğün değerini anlayacak ve talepkâr bir tutum içine gireceklerdir. Talepleri karşılandıkça da özgürlükleri artacak ve yeni taleplerde bulunacaklardır. Böylece, kapasitelerin artması kendini besleyen bir süreç olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Kapasite yaklaşımı açısından özgürlük; gelir, servet, fayda veya birincil mallar gibi niceliklerin çoğalmasıyla değil, insanların kapasitelerinin artmasıyla sağlanabilir. Adı geçen nicelikler özgürlük için gereklidir ama yeterli değildir. Bunları özgürlüğün genişlemesini sağlayan araçlar arasında kabul etmek gerekir. Kapasite yaklaşımına göre özgürlük, hem amaç hem de kendisine gidilecek yolda kullanılması gereken bir araçtır. Kapasite yaklaşımı açısından, insanları kültürel temelde ayırmak özgürlüğe aykırı bir tutumdur. Çünkü, insanların etnik, dinsel, vb. özelliklerinden başka özellikleri de vardır. Bu tezde, içine doğulan topluluğa veya başka topluluklara bağlılığın insanların kendisine bırakılması gerektiği vurgulanmıştır. Ayrıca, en az bunun kadar önemlisi, insanların kendilerini toplumsal, siyasal, kültürel, meslekî, vb. özellikleriyle birlikte, bir bütün olarak tanımlamaları gerektiği vurgulanmıştır. Freedom, Capability Approach
THE CAPABILITY APPROACH OF AMARTYA SEN AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND CULTURAL FREEDOM In contemporary world, cultural identities are becoming diversified and multiplied as a result of globalisation. Scientific studies dealing with cultural identities are mostly preoccupied with cultural rights of communities, as weaker importance attached to the consideration of the individual freedom per se. It means they neglect the relevance of the freedom of the individuals within community; that is one of the most important aspects of individual freedom. Accordingly, it is important to recognize the necessity of developing an approach which is powerful enough to solve the problem underestimated by the people focusing on cultural rights. In order to meet this objective, in this thesis, it is tried to use the capability approach of Amartya Sen. Capability represents the various combinations of opportunities people can enjoy to achieve the life they desire. It implies that freedom requires first the fulfilment of some opportunities. Also, it implies that people are likely to desire freedom after finding the relevant opportunity. The only problem is to augment their capabilities. In this way even people who have not cared freedom before will recognize the value of it, then they will begin to desire it. As much as their desires are fulfiled they will be more free and will desire more freedom. Thus it is possible to consider the increase of capabilities as a process in which they nourish themselves. According to the capability approach freedom is possible in virtue of augmenting capabilities, but not quantities such as income, wealth, utility or pimary goods. These quantities are necessary but not sufficient to achieve freedom. We must consider them as some instruments for freedom. From this angle freedom is an instrument for the road to itself as much as an aim. Because the same person has various attributes other than his ethnic and religious attributes, cultural partitioning of people is an attitude against their freedom. In this thesis it is emphasised that it is necessary to give every person the opportunity to make choice about his belonging to his native community or another one. As important as this one, it is also emphasised that people have to define themselves considering all their different (social, political, cultural, professional, etc.) attributes.
THE CAPABILITY APPROACH OF AMARTYA SEN AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND CULTURAL FREEDOM In contemporary world, cultural identities are becoming diversified and multiplied as a result of globalisation. Scientific studies dealing with cultural identities are mostly preoccupied with cultural rights of communities, as weaker importance attached to the consideration of the individual freedom per se. It means they neglect the relevance of the freedom of the individuals within community; that is one of the most important aspects of individual freedom. Accordingly, it is important to recognize the necessity of developing an approach which is powerful enough to solve the problem underestimated by the people focusing on cultural rights. In order to meet this objective, in this thesis, it is tried to use the capability approach of Amartya Sen. Capability represents the various combinations of opportunities people can enjoy to achieve the life they desire. It implies that freedom requires first the fulfilment of some opportunities. Also, it implies that people are likely to desire freedom after finding the relevant opportunity. The only problem is to augment their capabilities. In this way even people who have not cared freedom before will recognize the value of it, then they will begin to desire it. As much as their desires are fulfiled they will be more free and will desire more freedom. Thus it is possible to consider the increase of capabilities as a process in which they nourish themselves. According to the capability approach freedom is possible in virtue of augmenting capabilities, but not quantities such as income, wealth, utility or pimary goods. These quantities are necessary but not sufficient to achieve freedom. We must consider them as some instruments for freedom. From this angle freedom is an instrument for the road to itself as much as an aim. Because the same person has various attributes other than his ethnic and religious attributes, cultural partitioning of people is an attitude against their freedom. In this thesis it is emphasised that it is necessary to give every person the opportunity to make choice about his belonging to his native community or another one. As important as this one, it is also emphasised that people have to define themselves considering all their different (social, political, cultural, professional, etc.) attributes.