10/9 Martha C. Nussbaum and Amartya Sen, “Internal Criticism and Indian Rationalist Traditions”

Theme: Is it possible for us to provide an internal critique of other cultures?

1. According to Nussbaum and Sen, what aspects have been underemphasized in discussions of Indian culture, and how has this affected the debate about the effects of modern science and technology on Indian culture?

2. What characteristics distinguish an internal critique of a culture’s values from an external critique? How do Nussbaum and Sen illustrate this difference in their discussion of Aristotle and Plato? Can an internal critique lead to the criticism and rejection of traditional values?

3. What do Nussbaum and Sen have to say about the difficulty of delimiting the boundaries of a cultural unit? Do they think that reference to the values of another culture is admissible in an internal critique, and how do they illustrate their view with their discussion of the condition of women?