The Globalization of Ethics: Religious and Secular Perspectives

This book is impressively conceived and beautifully organized

June O'Connor, Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Sullivan and Kymlicka seek to provide an alternative to post-9/11 pessimism about the ability of serious ethical dialogue to resolve disagreements and conflict across national, religious, and cultural differences. It begins by acknowledging the gravity of the problem: on our tightly interconnected planet, entire populations look for moral guidance to a variety of religious and cultural traditions, and these often stiffen, rather than soften, opposing moral perceptions.

How, then, to set minimal standards for the treatment of persons while developing moral bases for coexistence and cooperation across different ethical traditions? The Globalization of Ethics argues for a tempered optimism in approaching these questions. Its distinguished contributors report on some of the most globally influential traditions of ethical thought in order to identify the resources within each tradition for working toward consensus and accommodation among the ethical traditions that shape the contemporary world.

Table of Contents

1. Will Kymlicka, "Introduction: The Globalization of Ethics"
2. Daniel Philpott, "Global Ethics and the International Law Tradition"
3. Michael Walzer, "Morality and Universality in Jewish Thought"
4. Max Stackhouse, "Globalization and Christian Ethics"
5. Peter Nosco, "Buddhism and the Globalization of Ethics"
6. Muhammad Khalid Masud, "Muslim Perspectives on Global Ethics"
7. Richard Madsen, "Confucianism: Ethical Uniformity and Diversity"
8. Mark Murphy, "Natural Law, Common Morality, and Particularism"
9. Chris Brown, "Liberalism and the Globalization of Ethics"
10. Kimberly Hutchings, "Feminist Perspectives on a Planetary Ethic"
11. William Sullivan, "Ethical Universalism and Particularism: A Comparison of Outlooks"