1. Christian Ethics, Economics &
Globalization
Dr. Christopher Lind
Senior Fellow, Massey College
Emmanuel College, December 1, 2009

3. Toronto Average Individual Income 1970

4. Toronto Average Individual Income 2000

5. Immigrant Status & Period of
Immigration: City of Toronto 2006

6. Visible Minorities: Toronto 2006

7. What is this?

8. How is this different?

9. From Poverty
to Marginalization
to Social Exclusion
Inside vs. Outside
Centres define Margins
Relationships define Persons
Power defines Belonging

10. Economic Globalization as
Increased Trade
 “Globalization has, in short, been an
incredible force for good in the
world….The new players [like China] have
made world trade more dynamic and
enlarged the pool of world savings available
to finance the substantial current account
deficits incurred by the US in recent years.”
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo

11. Economic Globalization as
Corporate Freedom
“I would define globalization as the freedom of my
group of companies
to 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 Plant
Manufacturer operating in over 100 countries
Davos, Switzerland

12. Henry Kissinger’s Definition
 “The basic challenge is that what is
called globalization is really another
name for the dominant role of the
United States.”
 Lecture at Trinity College, Dublin,
October 12, 1999.

13. Globalization as Imperialism
 In the 19th century, Karl Marx noted the
inherent capitalist drive to
“nestle everywhere, settle everywhere,
establish connections everywhere…. In
place of the old national seclusion and
self-sufficiency, we have intercourse in
every direction, the universal
interdependence of nations.”

14. ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION
A more formal definition:
 the process of creating integrated
global markets for goods, services,
capital and labour
 and the social effects of this process.

15. The Revolution Called Globalization
Economy Technology Wealth
Agricultural Plough Land
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Industrial Steam Engine Factory
GLOBAL REVOLUTION
Knowledge Computer Chip Intellectual
Property

16. Who Owns Intellectual Property?

17. Global distribution of large stationary sources of CO2
SRCCS Figure TS-2a

19. Global Daily Foreign Exchange

20. Economy & Society
Transformed by Globalization
NonMarket SOCIETY vs MARKET SOCIETY
Society Economy
---------- vs ------------
Economy Society
Which one is a moral society?

21. 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 judgement
vs incapable of making a moral judgement

22. How have you been affected
by Economic Globalization?
 Spend a moment reflecting alone on the
question
 Form groups of 4 or 5 persons and
discuss your answers
 Identify the most significant question to
emerge & write it on the card
 Take your break when you are done

23. Ethics of Globalization
Competitiveness Ethic Cooperation
Domination Activity Solidarity
Indifference Attitude Compassion

24. Who Will Bless Globalization?
 Neoliberalism & Washington Consensus
 Milton Friedman (Pinochet-Chile 73-90)
 Margaret Thatcher (UK 79 - 90)
 Ronald Reagan (US 81 - 89)

25. 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)

26. Alternative Resources 2
 Compassion
 Golden Rule Mt 7:12
 Charter for Compassion (Karen Armstrong)
www.charterforcompassion.org

27. 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

28. Critique of Common Good
 An invitation to (armed) conflict
 Represents the imposition of the will of
one group over another under cover of
the general will
 Assumes a prior equality that doesn’t
actually exist

29. Consequences of Critique
 In western thought people assume
diversity of goods not a single good
 It is not up to the State to determine
what is good, but each individual
 Debates about the common good are
replaced by calls for tolerance

30. 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

31. WCC ASSEMBLY
HARARE, 1998
Globalization poses a pastoral, ethical, theological and spiritual
challenge to the churches and the ecumenical movement in
particular.
The vision behind globalization is a competing vision of the
oikoumene, the unity of humankind and the whole inhabited
earth.
The globalized oikoumene of domination is in contrast with the
oikoumene of faith and solidarity that motivates and
energizes the ecumenical movement.
The logic of globalization needs to be challenged by an
alternative way of life of community in diversity.

32. Oikos = Whole Inhabited Earth
 Oikos = Economy
 Oikos = Ecology
 Oikos = Ecumene

33. WCC Roots of Ecojustice
 Just, Participatory and Sustainable Society
WCC Nairobi 1975
 Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation
WCC Vancouver 1983

34. An Ecojustice Ethic
 Solidarity
 Sustainability
 Sufficiency
 Equity

35. Ecojustice Definition: Hessel
 solidarity with other people and creatures – companions,
victims, and allies – in earth community, reflecting deep respect
for diverse creation
 ecological sustainability – environmentally fitting habits of
living and working that enable life to flourish, and utilize
ecologically and socially appropriate technology
 sufficiency as a standard of organized sharing, which requires
basic floors and definite ceilings for equitable or “fair”
consumption
 socially just participation in decisions about how to obtain
sustenance and to manage community life for the good in
common and the good of the commons

36. THE CREATION OF COMMUNITY
IS THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH
PASTORAL
MINISTRY
OF THE WHOLE
PEOPLE OF GOD
PROPHETIC PRIESTLY

37. Ministry
of the Whole People of God
 Pastoral = Relational
 Prophetic = Communicative
 Priestly = Symbolic

39. For more resources go to:
www.christopherlind.ca

40. Examples of the Ministry
of the Whole People of God
 Pastoral = Relational
www.earthcare.sk.ca
 Prophetic= Communicative
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2006/digital_co
nvergence.htm
 Priestly = Symbolic
www.newdawn.ca

41. HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION ERODE
COMMUNITY?
 MATERIAL CHANGE Linking of national financial markets
to form global financial market
 POWER SHIFT from political/social institutions to
economic/market institutions
 BATTLE OF IDEAS equality vs. efficiency;
democracy vs. market
struggle for good conscience in civil society
 RESTRUCTURING need to harmonize with global market forces;
support withdrawn from non-market institutions

42. 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

43. 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