What is the Point of Global Ethics?

Jotting down some ideas

         Prof. Sean Cordell, philosopher at the Open University, refers to ethics in terms of making “the world better,” about finding ways to “save the world” (The Open University, 2020a). Based on these two assumptions by Cordell, we do not want to find ourselves immersed in dreary years seeing how humanity is destroying the world, its own civilization, or simply mistreating other humans just because. When one is in trouble, we do not want to be with Elle-women and men who are hollow and only smile as if they were empathetic toward others. The ethical being is prompted to get into action.

         What is then Global Ethics end game? Based on Prof. Jon Pike, also a philosopher at the Open University, the end game here is to discover “what’s wrong with the world and what should we do about it” (The Open University, 2020a). This sounds easier said than done, especially when there are Elle-people around us; however, we need to start at least with ourselves trying to make sense of the people’s worldview to make our own decisions based on our ethical foundations, as simple as deciding to get a plastic bag at the local supermarket instead of taking our own reusable bags. With simple acts we can start making important changes to make the world a better place.

         If we imagine Global Ethics as a casket, we are then to find -in it- three central distinctions not to feel smothered by the smoke coming from the world’s indifference to global issues. If you should like to see the content of our ethical casket, based on Prof. Pike, three elements are to be found: [1] “empirical stuff,” [2] “theory and construction of models about how the world works,” and [3] “normative stuff” (The Open University, 2020a). These distinctions are necessary to understand the point of Global Ethics and its end game.

What should we do then about issues concerning Global Ethics? Ethicists should so like to see everyone taking a stance regarding global problems all humans should be interested in. As a result of not knowing what governmental institutions and figures ought to do about issues, we at least can think through the arguments in favor or against something to come up with our very own opinions. As Prof. Pike has put it (The Open University, 2020b), “we kind of owe it to ourselves on the level of moral and intellectual integrity.” And it is at this point that we can also think what stakeholders do and should do about a given issue.

Global Ethics is something that does not belong to the netherworld. We are not mere pawns in a divine ethical drama; we can make moral decisions that can positively impact global issues that concern all humans. We cannot simply say that the gods to relieve themselves of toil created men to take advantage of one another; the righteous man would always be beset by prolonged series of global ethical decisions that cannot simply be postponed to make the world a better place for all. Global ethics is “the sphere of justice in the world and what you as an individual might do about it” says Prof. Sean Cordell (The Open University, 2020b). Global ethics is not a whimsical rule of God or any supernatural power we may believe in; it is, as simply stated by Prof. Cordell, “political and it’s personal.”

References

The Open University. (2020a). Who does global ethics - in theory? Retrieved October 27, 2020, from FuturLearn.Com: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/global-ethics/3/steps/905598

The Open University. (2020b). Who does global ethics - in practice? Retrieved October 28, 2020, from FutureLearn.Com: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/global-ethics/3/steps/905599

What is the Point of Global Ethics by Jonathan Acuña on Scribd

Saturday, October 31, 2020