Christian Ethics, Economics &Globalization
Dr. Christopher LindSenior Fellow, Massey College
Emmanuel College, December 1, 2009
Toronto Average Individual Income 1970
Toronto Average Individual Income 2000
Immigrant Status & Period ofImmigration: City of Toronto 2006
Visible Minorities: Toronto 2006
What is this?
How is this different?
From Povertyto Marginalizationto Social Exclusion
Inside vs. Outside
Centres define Margins
Relationships define Persons
Power defines Belonging
Economic Globalization asIncreased Trade
“Globalization has, in short, been anincredible force for good in theworld….The new players [like China] havemade world trade more dynamic andenlarged the pool of world savings availableto finance the substantial current accountdeficits incurred by the US in recent years.”
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo
Economic Globalization asCorporate Freedom“I would define globalization as the freedom of my
group of companiesto invest where it wants, when it wants,to produce what it wants,to buy and sell where it wants,and support the fewest restrictions possible coming
from labour laws and social conventions.”
President of ABB, an Electronics & Power PlantManufacturer operating in over 100 countries
Davos, Switzerland
Henry Kissinger’s Definition
“The basic challenge is that what iscalled globalization is really anothername for the dominant role of theUnited States.”
Lecture at Trinity College, Dublin,October 12, 1999.
Globalization as Imperialism
In the 19th century, Karl Marx noted theinherent capitalist drive to“nestle everywhere, settle everywhere,establish connections everywhere…. Inplace of the old national seclusion andself-sufficiency, we have intercourse inevery direction, the universalinterdependence of nations.”
ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION
A more formal definition:
the process of creating integratedglobal markets for goods, services,capital and labour
and the social effects of this process.
The Revolution Called Globalization
Economy Technology Wealth
Agricultural Plough Land
INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION
Industrial Steam Engine FactoryGLOBAL GLOBAL REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION
Knowledge Computer Chip IntellectualProperty
Who Owns Intellectual Property?
Global distribution of large stationary sources of CO2
SRCCS Figure TS-2a
Global Daily Foreign Exchange
Economy & SocietyTransformed by Globalization
NonMarket SOCIETY vs MARKET SOCIETY
Society Economy---------- vs ------------Economy Society
Which one is a moral society?
Meaning of Amoral
MORAL vs IMMORAL
AMORAL
MORAL vs IMMORAL = having the right morality vs the wrong morality
MORAL vs AMORAL = capable of making a moral judgementvs incapable of making a moral judgement
How have you been affectedby Economic Globalization?
Spend a moment reflecting alone on thequestion
Form groups of 4 or 5 persons anddiscuss your answers
Identify the most significant question toemerge & write it on the card
Take your break when you are done
Ethics of Globalization
Competitiveness Ethic Cooperation
Domination Activity Solidarity
Indifference Attitude Compassion
Who Will Bless Globalization?
Neoliberalism & Washington Consensus
Milton Friedman (Pinochet-Chile 73-90) Margaret Thatcher (UK 79 - 90) Ronald Reagan (US 81 - 89)
Alternative Resources Cooperation
UK Fire Insurance early 1700s (Robt Owen 19c) France Cheesemakers 1750 (Charles Gide 19c) India has largest Co-op Movement 33% of Canadians belong to a Credit Union
Solidarity Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa Movement for Democracy in Poland Summary of the Law & Good Samaritan Story
(Luke 10: 25 ff)
Alternative Resources 2
Compassion Golden Rule Mt 7:12 Charter for Compassion (Karen Armstrong)
www.charterforcompassion.org
Idea of a Common Good
Aristotle A good life is a life oriented to goods shared
with others the common good of the larger society of which
one is a part
Critique of Common Good
An invitation to (armed) conflict Represents the imposition of the will of
one group over another under cover ofthe general will
Assumes a prior equality that doesn’tactually exist
Consequences of Critique
In western thought people assumediversity of goods not a single good
It is not up to the State to determinewhat is good, but each individual
Debates about the common good arereplaced by calls for tolerance
Defence of Common Good
Catholic tradition incorporates diversity Relies on common human reason not
common religion or culture The tradition can develop Affirms the moral equality of persons as basis
for human rights Common good is the goal and solidarity is the
practice
WCC ASSEMBLY HARARE, 1998
Globalization poses a pastoral, ethical, theological and spiritualchallenge to the churches and the ecumenical movement inparticular.
The vision behind globalization is a competing vision of theoikoumene, the unity of humankind and the whole inhabitedearth.
The globalized oikoumene of domination is in contrast with theoikoumene of faith and solidarity that motivates andenergizes the ecumenical movement.
The logic of globalization needs to be challenged by analternative way of life of community in diversity.
Oikos = Whole Inhabited Earth
Oikos = Economy Oikos = Ecology Oikos = Ecumene
WCC Roots of Ecojustice
Just, Participatory and Sustainable SocietyWCC Nairobi 1975
Justice, Peace and the Integrity of CreationWCC Vancouver 1983
An Ecojustice Ethic
Solidarity Sustainability Sufficiency Equity
Ecojustice Definition: Hessel solidarity with other people and creatures – companions,
victims, and allies – in earth community, reflecting deep respectfor diverse creation
ecological sustainability – environmentally fitting habits ofliving and working that enable life to flourish, and utilizeecologically and socially appropriate technology
sufficiency as a standard of organized sharing, which requiresbasic floors and definite ceilings for equitable or “fair”consumption
socially just participation in decisions about how to obtainsustenance and to manage community life for the good incommon and the good of the commons
THE CREATION OF COMMUNITYIS THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH
MINISTRY
OF THE WHOLE
PEOPLE OF GOD
PASTORAL
PROPHETIC PRIESTLY
Ministryof the Whole People of God
Pastoral = Relational
Prophetic = Communicative
Priestly = Symbolic
www.christopherlind.ca
For more resources go to:
Examples of the Ministryof the Whole People of God
Pastoral = Relationalwww.earthcare.sk.ca
Prophetic= Communicativehttp://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2006/digital_co
nvergence.htm
Priestly = Symbolicwww.newdawn.ca
HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION ERODECOMMUNITY?
MATERIAL CHANGE Linking of national financial marketsto form global financial market
POWER SHIFT from political/social institutions toeconomic/market institutions
BATTLE OF IDEAS equality vs. efficiency;democracy vs. marketstruggle for good conscience in civil society
RESTRUCTURING need to harmonize with global market forces;support withdrawn from non-market institutions
BATTLE OF IDEAS
Moral Society vs Market Society
Food Commodity Children Consumer Choice Citizens Producer or Consumer Democracy Efficiency Human Rights Encourage Investment Common Good Special Interests Common Heritage of Nature Private Property
HOW CAN WE BUILD COMMUNITY?
Politics Of Resistance slow down or stop gov't restructuring
Ethics & Civil Society build democratic coalitions to resist competitiveness as sole value
New Institutions redesign or rebuild to provide material base for community & alternative to market
Extend Democracy re-imbed market in social/political framework;increase people's participation in decisions which affect them