Transcript Global Ethic Project Conceptual, Justificatory,Substantive and

Global Ethic Project
Conceptual, Justificatory, Substantive and
Skeptical Perspectives
prepared by Julie M. Geredien
Anne Arundel Community College, Peer Learning Partnership
based in part on report by Mats Volsberg,
University of York, University of Tartu
What are different perspectives on
Global Ethic Project?
Conceptual: what is meant be ‘global ethics’?
Justificatory: what kind of basis is needed for it?
Substantive: what kinds of principles and rules does it include?
Skeptical:
what are objections or issues to address?
I. CONCEPTUAL
What do we mean by a GLOBAL ETHIC?
The ETHIC part we know already…
Ethics is discipline of thinking about guiding
principles. These principles prescribe in some
way how we ought to be in our relationships.
But what do we mean by ‘GLOBAL’
when we say ‘global ethic’?
What is a global ethic?
We can think of the word GLOBAL in 3 ways:
1.
2.
3.
Content of ethic is global
Application of ethic is global
Status of ethic is global
A. Content of ethic is globalOBJECTIVISM
•
Its principles concern the whole globe or they
respond to a holistic or global view of human nature
•
Its content embraces a wider scope of moral significance
(a maximally large number of morally significant beings are considered:
humans, non-humans, eco-systems, cultural entities)
•
Its approach is OBJECTIVE – beyond claims of
subjectivism, opening one to a ‘vast vision’ of reality
outside of the self.
B. Application of ethic is globalFOUNDATIONALISM
• It applies everywhere
• It applies to all people
• It is embodied by all, its basis or
foundation is accepted by all, and so it
creates a new social foundation
C. Status of ethic is globalUNIVERSALISM
• It is accepted around the globe
• Its focus and content is considered
universally important
• Its position as foundation of global
social reality gives it weighty status
PERTAINS TO CONTENT OF GLOBAL ETHIC
Ontological objectivism- there are entities which exist
independently of the point of view, corpus of beliefs or
conceptual scheme held to or employed by any particular person
or society.
Discursive objectivism- there are beliefs that are true regardless of
viewpoint, beliefs, or explanatory frameworks, which obviously
conflicts with the idea that man, not the object of perception, is the
measure of things, of truth and falsity.
.
PERTAINS TO APPLICATION OF GLOBAL ETHIC
Ontological foundationalism – there is a common ontology or set of
basic existents, incapable of further analysis out of which all
other existents are constructed.
Discursive foundationalism- there are basic statements or
propositions incapable of further analysis which serve not only as a
foundation for other statements but also as an Archimedean point
from which to make objective judgments.
Volume 9, 2008
from Hare, Ro; Michael Kraucz. Varieties of Relativism. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishing,
1996.
quoted in Relativism and the Baha’i Writings by Ian Kluge, published in Lights of Irfan,
review of definitions
PERTAINS TO STATUS OF GLOBAL ETHIC
Ontological universalism- there are entities which exist for all.
Discursive universalism- there are statements and beliefs which are
valid in all contexts.
What are expectations for the
GLOBAL ETHIC concept?
In a modern, liberal democratic society, the fact of
pluralism is “a diversity of opposing and irreconcilable
religious, philosophical and moral doctrines.”
–John Rawls, Political Liberalism, p. 3-4
This makes consensus possible only through pervasive state coercion.
This is the fact of oppression.
How do we meet diversity of different comprehensive doctrines
on the GLOBAL level?
To meet diversity needs we must focus on certain kinds
of CONTENT and make claims with certain kinds of STATUS
OBJECTIVE content with
UNIVERSAL status can be found
by focusing on the
global problems of the day
(crisis point is point of transformation and
carries vital information about our needed
growth.)
3 Dimensions of Global Ethic Concept
• kind of agents it applies to
• sphere of life it applies to
• unit of concern it focuses on
AGENTS can be individuals or states
SPHERES can be individuals or institutions
CONCERNS can be for individual or for collectives
What kind of principles should we look for when
starting construct a global ethic (or a theory of global justice?)
How should we think about:
kinds of agents, spheres of life, and units of concern?
KINDS OF AGENTS
individual
state
SPHERE OF LIFE
individual
ethical actions
UNITS OF CONCERN
institutions
individuals
political actions
collectives
Should a global ethic prescribe to the
INDIVIDUAL or to INSTITUTIONS?
SPHERE OF LIFE
individuals
ethical actions
institutions
political actions
EFFICACY- organizations can reach many and change situations of poor
individuals faster than one-on-one assistance
JUSTICE- charity is not enough, political actions must bring justice
(ex.: tsunami caused by exploits of the wealthy country that pays for damage)
PSYCHOLOGY- humans have evolved to care for immediate surroundings and
intimate relations.
Political ethical theory maintains that global ethic should prescribe
political action for institutions.
Institutions concerned with learning, communication and
human development can then much more wisely address the
needs of individuals for transformation and self-cultivation.
First instinct in DOMESTIC justice is to center on the
individual.
IF all individuals are well THEN it is a just state.
However…
GLOBAL problems and GLOBAL relationships
require we first see the BIG picture of collective concerns
GLOBAL ETHICS THEREFORE HAVE NORMS APPLIED
TO STATES
PRESCRIBING POLITICAL ACTIONS
FOR INSTITUTIONS.
Without institutional structure, it is too hard
to change the state of the individual
on a GLOBAL scale.
II. JUSTIFICATORY
What kind of basis is needed for
a global ethic?
How could we construct it?
focus on INSTITUTIONAL or POLITICAL ethic
UTILITARIAN ETHICS- utilitarianism is
applied both to individuals and institutions
BUT institutions are just a MEANS for
achieving any given aim. (increase of
happiness, or satisfaction of collective
preferences)
POLITICAL ETHICS- in liberalism political
institutions themselves are the AIM.
Institutions and values like individual liberty
should be organized as ends in themselves.
A RELIABLE PROCESS FOR RELATING
TO EPISTEMOLOGY AND ETHICS IN
INSTITUTIONS IS AN END IN ITSELF AND
YIELDS RIGHT OUTCOMES THROUGH
RELIABLE ETHICAL MEANS.
THE MEANS ARE THE ENDS IN THE
GLOBAL-ETHICALLY ALIGNED INSTITUTION.
“Give a man a bowl of grown foods, you feed him for a day.
Teach him to grow things, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
III. SUBSTANTIVE
What kinds of principles or rules should be involved?
Requires new appreciation of relationship between
INDIVIDUAL- EPISTEMOLOGY- ETHICS
the SUBSTANCE of global law would require
Global appreciation of INDIVIDUAL, as a
human being with powers of discovery and
comprehension, reason, compassion, imagination
and discernment.
Global approach to EPISTEMOLOGY that is based
on holistic understanding of individual.
•
•
•
•
Comprehensive Observation
Reciprocal Feeling
Practice and Self-Cultivation
Unity of Virtues and Values
Global dimensions in ETHICS reached through
understanding that is totalistic but not rigid,
static or totalitarian
What should be the substance
of global ethical principles?
Formal aspects
Axiological aspects
Personal aspects
Communitarian aspects
Praxis aspects
Ethical ontological aspects
Axiological aspects of global ethical principles:
foresight, best improvement, ideal norm, coherent valuation,
ecological integrity, variety and depth, situational relevance
Characteristics of ethics would also include and integrate:
divine commandments, respect for development of
virtue, potentiality, eudemonics
See Global Ethical Options: Gandhi, King and Ikeda by Carter, Miller and Radhakrishnan
See Baha’i Ethics in Light of Scripture by Udo Schaeffer,
http://bahai-library.com/kluge_schaefer_ethics_scripture review by Ian Kluge
Substance of global ethics should apply to
multiple dimensions of holistic human
experience:
Physical, emotional, intellectual, creative,
social, moral, spiritual
IV. SKEPTICAL
Problem of pervasiveness
Problem of efficacy
Ethics should apply to individuals but
prescribe political action with collectives as
its units of concern. With political ethical
theory like liberalism the individual can
integrate global ethics without being
overwhelmed because individual still
relates primarily in daily functioning to the
institution and not to the world as a whole.
see Understanding the Global Ethic Project
by Mats Volsberg
published 2012 in Public Reason 4(1-2): 18:27