Bridging the gaps in Global Ethics: grounded cosmopolitan praxis

van den Anker, Christien

Abstract

This chapter discusses Global Ethics as a new field of enquiry and illustrates the need for a strong link between theoretical reflection and practical learning.I first investigate the role of universalist and contextual theories in Global ethics and argue for a balance between the two. In the next section I use the example of the liberal-multicultural debate to show the relevance of looking for a balanced perspective. Finally, I present a method of ethical reflection to illustrate the practical posssibilities of this balance between the core concerns of universalsim and conetxtualism. I conclude that the importance of contextualism is in itself a universal value and universal principles always need to be expressed locally and embedded in particular behavior and practices. The dangers of strong versions of either approach need to be avoided while the core concerns of both need to be preserved.

• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Nov 29, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 13, 2016
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 41-54
• Book Title: Ethics in an era of globalization
• ISBN: 9780754671954
• Keywords: global ethics, universalism, contextualism, multiculturalism
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1011579
• Publisher URL: http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754671954
• Contract Date: Apr 13, 2016