On capabilities and agency in the work of Amartya Sen and Elinor and Vincent Ostrom: a comparative assessment

This paper provides an in-depth comparative assessment of the use made of the concept of ‘capabilities’ Amartya Sen and by Elinor and Vincent Ostrom, along with the notions of ‘agency’ to which they subscribe. It is argued that the two accounts are largely compatible, with Sen offering more of a foundational framework for the analysis of capabilities, while the Ostroms provide an in-depth illustration of how that foundational view unfolds when applied to a more concrete issue (namely, democratic self-governance). Two additional complementarities are identified. First, the Ostroms develop a fuller account of the structure–agency relationship than Sen, enabling them to offer a more convincing analysis of how capabilities are shaped by institutions. Second, the Ostroms place more emphasis than does Sen on the shortcomings of democratic deliberation, emphasising the importance of an institutional framework that can prevent the abuses of democratic governance.