Abstract: O’Neill investigates the relationship between capability and vulnerability in forms of dependence and victimization, arguing that the satisfaction of preferences ought not to be taken as a normative criterion in political economy. Defending the capabilities approach by connecting it to a strand of Kantianism, O’Neill contends that Kant's categorical imperative continues to be a valuable test in social policy and supplies a powerful safeguard against the exploitation of vulnerability.

Keywords: capabilities, dependence and victimization, independence and autonomy, justice, Kant, practical reasoning, preferences,