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Back to the Philosophy Department Graduate Students website
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Department of
Philosophy
101 Manchester Hall
344 Mansfield Road
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT
06269-2054
Phone: (860) 486-4416
Fax: (860) 486-0387
shelly.burelle@uconn.edu
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Asha Bhandary
email: firstname[dot]lastname[at]uconn[dot]edu
CLAS Dean's Graduate Fellow at the Humanities Institute, 2010-2011
Doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Connecticut.
Interests
Political Philosophy, ethics, autonomy theory, and feminist ethics and politics.
Projects
I am currently writing my dissertation, "Freedom to care: a capabilities theory based in autonomy and care." In it, I argue that a satisfactory political theory should include the human need for care, and therefore, among other things, it must support the work of caring for dependent persons. Because
Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities theory comes closest to meeting this requirement, I defend modifications and revisions to her capabilities theory that preserve her commitment to liberalism and
the values of personal autonomy and individual choice. I endorse a skills-based conception of personal autonomy influenced by the account of Diana Meyers and propose a corresponding conception of care skills to be fostered in citizens. My proposal raises questions about the tenability of political liberalism and places some limits on respect for cultural difference when those cultures are more traditional and patriarchal. These are not fatal consequences, however, because promotion of autonomy and care skills should be constrained by the Millean principles of respect for individuality and mindfulness of human fallibility.
History
M.A. in Philosophy, Stanford University, 2004
B.A. Honors in Ethics in Society and Comparative Literature, Stanford University, 2003
Click here for my CV
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