March 3, 2026

Care, Dependency, and the Question of Justice in Susan Nussbaum’s No One as Nasty

Key Points

Disability theatre reveals deep power dynamics between caregivers and care-receivers, highlighting significant asymmetries.
Nussbaum's play illustrates how dependency is often framed as natural, concealing underlying structural inequalities.
The capabilities approach by Sen and Nussbaum emphasizes the importance of recognizing diverse individual capabilities beyond economics.
The findings underscore the need for a new ethics of care rooted in human interdependence, challenging conventional norms.

Abstract

This paper investigates the entangled dynamics of power and dependency in disability theatre, focusing on Susan Nussbaum’s No One as Nasty. Nussbaum’s work reveals the complex power asymmetries embedded within the relationship between caregiver and care-receiver. Although ostensibly framed as a cooperating relation, the relationship illustrates deeper structural inequalities shaped by race and labor. Care in disability contexts mirrors the colonial relationship between ruler and ruled, where dependence is framed as natural and inevitable. Also, care appears as an equal contract where mutual benefits are fairly exchanged. Moreover, the social contract theories such as those of John Rawls’ assume that rational, capable individuals can participate in fair agreements, marginalizing those with cognitive or physical disabilities. In response, Amartya Sen and Martha C. Nussbaum propose capabilities approach which considers individuals’ capabilities beyond economic perspectives, taking into account diverse elements such as bodily diversity and care-giving labor. This paper contends that inequalities reflect structures privileging ability, and calls for an ethics of responsibility and care grounded in human vulnerability and interdependence.

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Care, Dependency, and the Question of Justice in Susan Nussbaum’s No One as Nasty

Key Points

Abstract

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