Globalization is the buzzword of the moment. But what exactly does it mean? Is globalization primarily a force for good or a force for evil? In this excellent volume deriving from events organized by the Capitalism Project at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, experienced businesspeople, academics, and theologians explore the contours of a Christian response to the rise of globalization. Although the authors represent a variety of perspectives, all agree that ethical and economic concerns cannot and should not be separated. In bearing witness to the insights of biblical theology, the realities of the contemporary world, and the full spectrum of opinions about the issue of globalization, this book opens up fresh areas for reflection and makes a highly significant and stimulating contribution to the current debate about it. Contributors: Timothy Gorringe Brian Griffiths David Held Peter Heslam Clive Mather Cynthia Moe-Loebeda Ann Pettifor Michael Schluter Michael Taylor Jim Wallis Michael Woolcock

Recent trends in globalization have conclusively demonstrated that economic and socio-political problems of the 21st century would need to be confronted in the context of the inter-dependent nature of the world and its inhabitants. The emerging global economic order has once again brought capitalism and its principal actor, the large multinational corporation, to the apex of social institutions. The 23 papers represent a diversity of viewpoints and are indicative of one of the major goals, i.e., to create a meaningful discourse that goes beyond rhetoric. Instead, it emphasizes a search for feasible solutions in the context of real world problems, resource constraints, and human frailties. Previously Published in the Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 87 Supplement 1, 2009

Researchers and policy-makers are taking a new look at public policies to find broader grounds for assessing their economic and social impacts on individuals, families, communities, and nations. This book introduces this new research on social capital and well-being and applies it to key issues facing individuals and governments in the age of globalization. John Helliwell first looks at the latest evidence about the extent to which globalization has altered the scope and salience of nation-states. He then deals with the implications for both domestic and international policies. Throughout the book, the author emphasizes well-being as an explicit focus for research and for public policies. He argues that, whatever one thinks of globalization, there is ample scope for countries like Canada to not only retain their distinctive qualities but also to have independent national and international policies. Globalization and Well-Being is essential reading for all those trying to think their way through the welter of conflicting assertions about what is left for national policies in today's world. It will be of special interest to those thinking about whether Canada should focus on its North American linkages or on building bridges to the broader international community.

Globalization and information technology are driving the world into a new era. Is it the responsibility of business to pursue the common good - and more precisely, to participate in the construction of the global common good? This book brings together contributions from various disciplines, written by scholars who are at the forefront of this debate. It provides multiple insights into a tripartite relationship: business, globalization and the common good. It helps explain why the business sphere will probably not be in a position to ignore the common good much longer, and why this latter concept, widely ignored in today's management realm, is likely to become part of tomorrow's corporate policies and practices in the global context. Finally, this work opens up a plethora of avenues for future research, calling for the development of transdisciplinary approaches and for the elaboration of a research program embracing theoretical, empirical and spiritual perspectives to tackle this complex issue.

Elaborating on the concepts first introduced in Global Public Goods, this book addresses the long overdue issue of how to adjust the concept of public goods to today's economic and political realities. The production of global public goods requires the orchestration of initiatives by a large number of diverse actors across different levels and sectors. It may require the collaboration of governments, business and civil society, and in most cases it almost certainly calls for an effective linkage of the local, national, regional, and global levels. In light of today's new realities, this book examines a series of managerial and political challenges that pertain to the design and implementation of production strategies and the monitoring and evaluation of global public goods provision.As participatory decision-making enhances the political support for - and thus the effectiveness of - certain policy decisions, this volume offers suggestions on a number of pragmatic policy reforms for bringing the global public more into public policy making on global issues. Nine case studies examine the importance of the global public good concept from the viewpoint of developing countries, exploring how and where the concerns of the poor and the rich overlap.Providing Global Public Goods offers important and timely suggestions on how to move in a more feasible and systematic way towards a fairer process of globalization that works in the interests of all.

Building a World Community: Globalisation and the Common Good

Provides a helpful overview of the complicated contemporary debates about globalization. This book argues that our moral task is to ensure that globalization proceeds in ways that honour creation and life, and that any theory of globalization ought to be grounded in values that emphasize a democratized understanding of power.

Gordon Brown, Jonathan Sacks, Joseph Stiglitz, Hans Kung, Shirley Williams, and a dozen other leading thinkers in international business and ethics identify the pressing moral issues which global capitalism must answer. How can we develop a global economic architecture which is efficient, morally acceptable, geographically inclusive, and sustainable over time? If global capitalism — arguably the most efficient wealth creating system currently known to man — is to be both economically viable and socially acceptable, each of its four constituent institutions (markets, governments, supranational agencies, and civil society) must not only be technically competent, but also be buttressed and challenged by a strong moral ethos. The book includes contributions from leading academics, politicians, and moralists. Recognizing that solutions will not come from any one quarter, and that any serious discussion of a just and equitable system will touch on questions of ethics and faith, the book approaches the issues from a range of different disciplines and forums.

The process of globalization represents the economic side of the political concept of the “New World Order.” It means the integration of production and marketing internationally and the intensification of global trade. It also means the increased domination of the world economy by big corporations and the diminishing role of the classic nation-state. Globalization also challenges our traditional beliefs, values and behavior. In this vein, the author raises a few questions, but lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions.

Patrick Riordan takes a different approach to the questions of global ethics by following the direction of questioning initially pioneered by Aristotle; for him the most basic question of ethics is 'what is the good life'? So in the context of contemporary global ethics the Aristotelian questioner wonders about the good life on a global scale. Global Ethics and Global Common Goods fills the gap in existing literature caused by the neglect of the topic of the good in global ethics. Beginning by outlining answers to questions such as 'what is good?' and 'is there a highest good?' Riordan demonstrates the value of a common good perspective in matters of universal human rights and their institutions and practices, the study of international relations and the construction of global institutions, and debates about global justice between cosmopolitanism, nationalism and economic globalization. Philosophical questions provoked by these debates are identified and pursued, such as the question of a common human nature which seems presupposed by the language of universal rights. For experienced students of political philosophy and international relations this is a crucial text in the literature exploring the possibilities for politics on a world scale, while the perspective of the common good adds a new and distinctive dimension to current debates on global security and the challenges of managing conflict.