A modern philosophy of globalization: motives, consequences, and ethics of world

[Nelson Muntz]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6773/is_5_8/ai_n31127214/

In a recent conversation with a philosopher colleague, I inquired about the ancient Greek philosophers--some of our original thinkers on the nature of enigmatic phenomena--as to their understanding of 'globalization'. Before I obtained an answer, this eminent scholar and friend turned the question back to me and in classical Socratic fashion, retorted, 'why does globalization advance poverty to the benefit of corporate wealth?' I knew from that moment that the idea of globalization, even among elite thinkers, had become ideologically polarized, firmly sensitive, and profoundly unclear as to what globalization actually means. My colleague wasn't wrong, nor was he correct in his response. Rather, he, like many, sees the economic world as an unrestrained machine yielding disparate opportunities among humanity, where others see this machine as the natural endeavor of contemporary civilization seeking knowledge, prosperity and growth.

This paper takes the position that globalization both in terminology and theory is overly used and misunderstood. Much has been written and debated in recent years about the phenomenon called globalization, but still students, scholars, politicians, and business practitioners alike, fall into polarized and ideological camps as to what it is, why it is, and what all the fuss is about. The paper addresses three central questions. First, what are the motives of nations to reach beyond their borders? Second, what are the consequences of this outreach--predominantly in the present time? Third, what are the ethics--or the general guidelines--of worldwide commerce?

These questions, though seemingly simple, are in fact profoundly abstruse. The answers are often found by students to be unclearly defined by either the overwhelmingly simplistic or, conversely, the multifarious readings in the classroom or biased from teachers, the media, and politicians. What is needed is a new philosophy--that is, a modern perspective or understanding--so that the scholar, the student, and the business person can see globalization from the same lens. The ultimate objective and destination of the paper is to offer a collective starting point for the new decade ahead and, moreover, that an aggregate discussion among economists, political scientists, policy makers, and the business community might ensue. Not all people care about or are aware of globalization, but most people are impacted by its reality. Yet, for those who live in the world of ideas and the practice of policy design, implementation, and business management, a new philosophy can help simplify the diversification of globalization's meaning for those who may have strayed or have been skewed from the confusion.

What are the results of a new philosophy? I do not anticipate paradigm shifts, but I do forecast a clearer dialogue among thinkers who connect with the world through commerce and ideas. This global connection is not going away, and, therefore, a new philosophy has the potential to strengthen the future for a worldwide community to remain positively engaged, productive, healthy, prosperous, and, most importantly, understood. In its simplest form, the new philosophy can be confined to the common theme of this paper where global reach is not simply characterized by the need to grow and gather wealth, but rather global reach is in fact part of the human aspiration to discover and use resources to move humanity forward. A sedentary population, like most animal behavior, never flourishes. A population that has a global reach through commerce can thrive, provide, and grow. This paper examines the motives, consequences, and ethics of this philosophical approach to globalization--a concept that many characterize as an ensuing trend, but I will affirm as the reality of the world's wellbeing.




There's a lot to this paper....but what are your ideas on globalization as far as advancing  mankind?  Who it helps?  Will it survive?