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