In Search of a Global Ethic

by Rebecca South

Whether or not a new Global Ethic can be defined

and adopted by the powers that be and a global
society; we have an ethical obligation to educate
ourselves.
World thought leaders attempt to define universal morals
For the past few years, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (CCEIA) has been
conducting interviews with a variety of world leaders in an effort to discern a Global Ethic.
Devin T. Stewart, senior program director and senior fellow at the CCEIA, defines a global ethic as the
moral values that apply to the welfare of the planet and can be shared by a broad range of
communities. (Stewart, para 1-2)
In the article, Toward Understanding Our World's Moral Landscape: Carnegie Council's
Centennial Projects on a Global Ethic, Stewart makes a valiant effort to summarize the findings of the
many interviews done as a part of their Global Ethical Dialogues, and Thought Leaders Forum. But,
there seems to be a disconnect between his definition of a global ethic and the very anthropocentric
summary he gives of the interviews. (Stewart, para 1, 30-36)
The CCEIAs Global Ethical Dialogues included seven, unreasonably big questions aimed at
describing the state of the world today and how we get to a better future. From Stewarts summary it
seems technology, the internet and social media have done the most to make the 21st centurys moral
landscape unique. There are no longer very many of us cut off from the rest of the world in terms of
information. Most people can now see how other people live. This has led to more people demanding their
voices be heard. Gross inequalities can no longer be ignored. (Stewart, para 3, 5-7)
There is an equalization of access to information creating a rising tide of people who are aware
that their lot in life is unfair, unjust and at the heart of it, unequal. Stewart cites the comments of Hong
Kong politician Emily Lau who, during her interview, emphasized the serious ramifications of, the
inequality between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and the poor. Some people get excessive
access to resources whereas a big, big majority get denied. And then those who have such access they are

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economically and militarily and politically exceedingly powerful. And so those being oppressed feel
bitterly hopeless. (Stewart, para 21)
Unequal distribution of burdens related to climate change, poverty, natural disasters and war
feeds more inequalities of prosperity, fairness and well-being. What Stewart calls a global normative shift
toward an equality of voices, has led the CCEIA to name inequality as todays greatest ethical challenge.
At the root of the outrage over inequality, is a common desire for dignity. (Stewart, para 20, 47, 52)
In 2013, the UNs annual progress report on the the implementation of the Millennium
Development Goals concluded by saying, The worlds nations must unite behind a common programme
to act on those aspirations. No one must be left behind. We must continue to build a future of justice and
hope, a life of dignity for all. (United Nations, pg. 19)
If dignity is our most important moral priority, then it would seem the prescription is
participatory justice.

Justice Theory
In 1971, John Rawls wrote, A Theory of Justice, as a guidebook for distributive justice which aims to
minimize unequal and arbitrary distributions of societal burdens and benefits. (Drexler, Justice Theory)
Rawls is a social contract theorist. Social contract theorists postulate that the inequalities of human
existence can be ameliorated by mutually agreed upon laws or contracts. (Encyclopdia Britannica)
In A Theory of Justice, Rawls penned his widely accepted first and second order principles of
justice. His first order principle states, Each person has the same indefeasible claim to a fully adequate
scheme of equal basic liberties, which scheme is compatible with the same scheme of liberties for all
His second order principle states, Social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions: first,
they are to be attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity;
and second they are to be to the greatest benefit of the least-advantaged members of society. Also known
and the difference principle, Rawls second order principle aims to counteract the impact of
luck. (Luck, in this case, referring to inherited status, race, geography, etc.)(Rawls, pg. 42)
In an essay published in 1981, Iris Marion Young proposed that distributive justice did not go far
enough toward creating a path to dignity. She wrote, I argue that decision making procedures and
principles should be central questions of justice. Within such a set of questions, a principle of selfdetermination should function as a prima facie principle of justice. (Young, pg.171) She went on to say
self-determination is a principle that states, social decisions ought to be made by those most affected by

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the outcome of the decisionRespect for moral personhood and rationality of individuals is lacking unless
they may determine the conditions of their lives and actions. (Young, pg. 180)

International Development
EPOCHS RISE SLOWLY, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT ERA OPENED AT A CERTAIN DATE AND
HOUR. ON 20 JANUARY 1949, IT WAS PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN WHO FIRST [DEFINED THE
CONDITIONS OF POORER COUNTRIES] AS UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS. WOLFGANG SACHS
(SACHS, PG. 4)
Since the inception of the development era in the 1950s and throughout the end of the 20th century, the
dominant method for addressing inequalities of poorer countries has been centralized, or top-down
development. This school of thought involves a small faction of the development community seeking to
solve a specific problem and working with local government leaders to achieve its ends. In the 21st
century, however, we see an increasing demand for bottom-up development (a version of participatory
justice) in development projects. (South, Andrew, pg. 18-19)
Unfortunately, participation by those who will be affected by any decision does not ensure there
wont be erosion of culture and an unequal distribution of justice and power inflicted onto the very people
who participated in the decision making process. (Sanyal, pg. 6) Participatory justice requires holistic
education of those who are participating. As it applies to development in the terms in which we think
about development internationally, participatory justice still relies too heavily on institutions.
Even if we ironed out the problems with applying participatory justice to international
development, the development industry may still not have the answers. It could be that development itself
is the cause of our current inequality and environmental crises.
In the essay, Global Ecology and the Shadow of Development, Wolfgang Sachs illustrates how
the very concept of "Development" was a western construct, born from a society still ignorant of how their
actions would affect the environment. Truman believed that all countries should be "developed" to be
competitors in the world market economy. The environment cannot support the market economies
currently locked in the struggle for dominance. He says, both ecology and poverty call for limits to
development. (pg. 8) In addition, Sachs contends that countries who need international aid are forced to
give up their natural resources as collateral and/or they refuse to make environmental concessions unless
they receive this or that--effectively using the environment as "diplomatic weapons." (pg. 7)
Parts of the UN function inside the development arena, and their aim of protecting human rights
and thereby protecting dignity is a worthy one which would seem to contain within it a mandate to protect

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the environment. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights states on their website, All
human beings depend on the environment in which we live. A safe, clean, healthy and sustainable
environment is integral to the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, including the rights to life,
health, food, water and sanitation. Without a healthy environment, we are unable to fulfill our aspirations
or even live at a level commensurate with minimum standards of human dignity.

Dignity and the Environmentinextricably tied

While the CCEIAs summary of the content of the Global Ethics interviews was focused on the many
inequalities affecting humans, the tragedy is that we may never be able to create a society which offers
dignity for all. Dignity is dependent on equality of access to information and resources as much as it is on
the preservation of an individuals autonomy and liberty. But, the truth is that in order to achieve equal
access to resources, the resources have to exist in the first place.
Jeffrey Sachs is what the CCEIA calls a Thought Leader. He is an economist who has practical
experience in development. He is the director of the Earth Institute (EI). On the front page of their
website, the EI states, Human activity is straining the planet's resources, threatening the health of our
environment and ability to thrive. By blending scientific research, education and practical solutions, The
Earth Institute, Columbia University, is working to help guide the world onto a path toward
sustainability. (Staff, the Earth Institute)
Prof. Sachs embodies this notion of blending science and practice. He is an economist focused on
making economics more ethical, while at the same time attempting to apply what he has learned to real
world problems. Some say he is largely responsible for the decline in malaria related deaths in Africa as a
result of his tireless campaign for the free distribution of millions of insecticide treated bed nets. (Thoma)
Through his work with the EI, he has unique access to real-time information from a variety of
highly respected research institutes. In May of this year, Sachs wrote, Humanity has just about run out of
time to address climate change. Scientists have pointed out that a rise in temperature of 2 Celsius above
pre-industrial levels will put the Earth in dangerous, uncharted territory. Yet we currently are on a path
toward an increase of 4 or more this century. He reports that as of 2012, we have pumped 34.5 billion
tons of CO2 into the air. He calls this human-induced climate crisis, The greatest moral issue of our
time. (Sachs, Jeffrey)
Aldo Leopold saw the destruction of the environment as an ethical problem many years ago.
Shortly after his death in 1948, his book, A Sand County Almanac was published. In the final essay,

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entitled The Land Ethic, Leopold calls for an extension of ethics from being anthropocentric to including
all members of our environmental community. He proposed that in addition to humans, we have an
ethical obligation to, ...soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively, the land. (Leopold, pg. 204)
Leopold focuses much of the essay on what he calls the Land Pyramid. The land pyramid depicts
the circuit of energy created by every biotic and abiotic component of the environment. He says, The
pyramid is a tangle of chains so complex as to seem disorderly, yet the stability of the system proves it to
be a highly organized structure. (Leopold, pg. 215)
While we have made serious progress in the last 65 years understanding the complexities of the
land pyramid, environmental biology remains a crisis discipline, relegated mostly to fixing problems
rather than preventing them. Climate change is exactly what Leopold was warning us about when he said,
We risk environmental collapse if we do not temper our tendency to act against nature with such,
violence, rapidity and scope. (Leopold, pg. 217)
Leopold said he did not expect the Land Ethic to replace other existing ethics, but rather, to
augment them. (Leopold, pg. 204) I submit the same holds true for a global ethic. A global ethic would be
insufficient without the land (and animals) getting equal billing right alongside people.

An Open Source Approach to Zeroing in on a Global Ethic

Indeed, Mr. Stewarts definition of a global ethic (the moral values that apply to the welfare of the planet
and can be shared by a broad range of communities) implies the environment is as important a concern as
are anthropocentric injustices.
I believe a global ethic will be so complex that it will look more like a list of Dos and Do Nots.
Maybe those directives can be found by mining the copious wisdom found in the many CCEIA interviews.
I have my doubts. What I believe to be true is: If we have any hope of identifying and universally accepting
a Global Ethic, it will require open source input in its design; and participatory justice pathways to its
distillation and adoption.
I propose we ask this question to a global audience, What set of rules can be adopted by the
many disparate human populations residing within the many unequal communities of Earth that will
ensure the health of the planet, preserve biodiversity and ethno-diversity, while providing pathways to
health, well-being and justice for all? We need to ascertain what the individuals from all walks of life
value mostand what rules they would agree toin order to find out for sure what ideas truly are
universal. The methods for refinement of those ideas will need to be democratic and only adopted as

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part of the global ethic by the powers that be after an open source vote. The problem is, an open source
movement like this could take years and it could already be too late.

A Golden Ethic?
While I do not believe a Global Ethic can be distilled down to a one-line catch-prase like, Do unto others
as you would have others do unto you, in light of the dawn of the 21st century being the very definition of
crunch time, I could not resist the urge to come up with something like a slogan. At the risk of being selfaggrandizing, I call this the Golden Ethic. It articulates what I believe could be a universally adopted
maxim.

A thing is right when it tends to improve both current and future

individuals dignity.
If the environment and dignity are inextricably tied, then the golden ethic covers both. J. Baird
Callicots Second Order Principles apply. According to Dr. Jane Drexlers lecture series on environmental
ethics, Callicots SOP1 states: Any obligations generated by membership in more intimate (personal)
communities take precedence over those generated by more impersonal communities. And, his SOP2
states: Stronger interests generate duties that take precedence over those duties generated by weaker
interests. (Drexler, Module 5: Callicott)
So, if in order to feed your family you must draw water from a river that a nearby droughtstricken community needs in order irrigate their potato fields, you are, ethically speaking, justified in
doing so as access to drinking water is most definitely a required element of dignity. However, if you live
on that riverbed and pump water from it in order for your children to spend the afternoon playing in the
sprinklers and watering your lawn, then Callicots SOP2 would prohibit you from doing so. The interests
of preserving a healthy potato harvest certainly come before keeping a lawn green or entertaining your
kids.
Participatory justice is also implied by the golden ethic. As we have learned, essential to dignity is
the need for our voices to be heard. (Stewart, para 10)
The phrase, individuals dignity, is purposely lacking any adjectives. In this case, the individual
could be an animal, a plant, or a person. Therefore, the maxim passes John Passmores Last Man
Example test. (Sylvan, pg. 16) It would be entirely impermissible to wantonly law waste to the planet
even if you were the last man on earth, because you would certainly not be the last animal or plant. Even if

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we leave the plants and animals out of the moral circle, there would still be no way to know for sure if the
Earth would later be colonized in some sci-fi reminiscent version of the future.

Applying the Golden Ethic to the life of an American

In order to improve both current and future individuals dignity, we each have a moral obligation to
support environmental preservation efforts. We must take care of our own land in an environmentally
conscious way. We have a moral obligation to conserve natural resources and support environmental and
cultural repair.
The easiest way for most of us to make a BIG difference in the health of the planet and in
supporting the dignity of all members of our biotic community is to become a vegetarian. If you cant buyin that eating meat is immoral, then become a vegetarian until all factory farming (the worlds biggest
offender of animal indignities and abuse) is outlawed. If you remain unconvinced, consider this: NPR
reported recently that it takes 6.7 pounds of grain and 52.8 gallons of water to make one quarter-pound
hamburger. (Barclay) In a world with 7.5 billion people, we cant afford the luxury.
Another, even less considered way to affect big change is to buy imported and/or leather goods
from from thrift stores only. All other manufactured products should be purchased from the source and as
close to home as possible. Huge amounts of CO2 could be prevented from being pumped into the
environment if we radically reduced what we contribute economically to the shipping of clothes and home
goods.
In the book, Wear No Evil, Greta Eagan claims it takes 700 gallons of water to make just one Tshirt. (Green, pg. 16) So, between your new t-shirt and lunch, you just used 753 gallons of water.
Furthermore, buying leather goods from thrift stores would help put an end to animals abuse arising from
the textile industry while still allowing you to wear your favorite boots.
You could also stop showering every day. We Homo sapien sapiens evolved over thousands of
years. Only in the last 50 or so did everyone decide that showering every day was mandatory. Go to
www.waterfootprint.org to see how much water you use a day. Then compare that with the 2 to 5 gallons
of water the average Sub-Saharan African uses.
Other ideas for Americans to integrate the golden ethic would include: Taking an electricity
vacation with your family every weekend for 2 hours; Boycotting big businesses and multinational
corporations who underpay and abuse their workforce; Documenting your gas usage and then trying to
cut it in half every few weeks; Supporting environmental and cultural repair by donating to well-vetted

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organizations; Volunteering in your community; Voting against laws that force farmers to use their water
rights or lose them the list is endless.
These are all good ideas, but perhaps the most important things Americans can do to promote
current and future individuals dignity starts with reading. One look at my closet full of shoes and you can
see I have been a huge offender of all things environmental. But, I have taken the first steps toward
redemption by trying to educate myself both formally through my local college and informally by reading,
critically watching documentaries and taking a few courses through Coursera online.
The efforts of Mr. Stewart and the CCEIA to bring global citizens to the table and educate the
public about the many issues facing us in the 21st century is laudable and should make educating
ourselves much easier. In a surprisingly surly interview with the CCEIA as a part of their Ethics Matter
series, Jeffrey Sachs said, The moral crisis (of today) is that we are not taking the economic [and
environmental] crisis seriously and we are not taking seriously the lives that are impaired, the suffering
that is realand the fact that we have a country that has such wealth, such capacity, but seemingly so little
taste to solve problems right now. (Kennedy)
He goes on to say that he can see many people in America do not understand the issues and
perhaps that is why people vote against important measures, or dont donate to important causes, or come
up with innumerable excuses for why someone elses good ideas wont work, but he doesnt see that as a
viable excuse anymore in a world where access to information is almost universal. He says, If you don't
even try [to understand the issues]that's where I would classify that as immoral behavior. You know
enough to know that something serious is going on, but you don't take life seriously enough to make the
effortThats what I dont understand. We take a football game on television vastly more seriously than
any of these issues. Thats a moral confusion. (Kennedy)

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