The rat problem for the capabilities approach

This Chapter examines the tension between Nussbaum's statements about rats and the commitments of the Capabilities Approach. The "Rat Problem" emerges from rats being simultaneously costly and undesirable yet morally significant as subjects of justice. While Nussbaum advocates extending wonder, compassion, and justice to all sentient creatures, rats often appear as exceptions. I argue that the category of "pest" is incompatible with the Capabilities Approach, especially its emphasis on wonder, and that conventional pest control methods violate rats' fundamental capabilities. Rather than accepting human-rat conflicts as inevitable tragedies, I propose reframing the problem as tractable through urban infrastructure reforms and integrated pest management. By addressing structural factors that create conflicts, we can move from extermination-based approaches toward arrangements that respect both human flourishing and rat capabilities.