Human Rights and the Ethics of Globalization

I have not been as consistent in writing, as I have been so caught up trying to finish this book by Daniel Lee and Elisabeth Lee, a captivating read but also one that is due at the library shortly (even after two renewals).

So, I decided to finish off where I started in covering the ethics fundamentals from the first section of the book. It has been a pretty broad and philosophical overlook on the blog, but in the book, the next section covers case studies. In each chapter they use the ethics foundation to assess the situation, taking into consideration historical and political backgrounds, and come up with ways that would make these situations more ethically sound.

It seems to become increasingly relevant to think of people's motivations for philanthropic actions, especially in the land of profit above all else. The book considers the distinction between our beliefs of "near neighbours" versus "distant neighbours." Do we owe our distant neighbours the same dues as our near neighbours?

Human-Rights based ethic of globalization insists that everyone counts, that "anything that we do or anyone else might do that hurts other people is wrong, regardless of who they are and where they live." Seems simple enough, although it becomes quite complex when you think about all the people with vested interest on an international market on different levels: consumers, producers, stakeholders, distributors, managers, owners, etc.

It is important now to consider Kant's philosophy that

"all rational beings stand under the law that each of them is to treat himself and all others never merely as means but always at the same time as ends themselves."

Basically, for example, using workers in an inhumane sweatshop simply as a means to roll out profit does not honour the autonomy of all beings.

They also define fair trade, but because I have already done that once here, I will not do it again, though it is easy to note that it fits well within Kantian ethics.

To conclude, business exists to serve, but it ethically also has to appeal to the "overarching good of human flourishing" and "correct injuries" that it inflicts.

I found this next quote left me with a few things to think about when speaking of human rights, so I leave it with you:

"it might seem to some that it is less humiliating and more dignified to claim that something is owed to them, as opposed to asking for help as an act of charity"

Book Cover from the Toronto Public Library website