The Ethics of Trade and Aid - Development, Charity or Waste?

International development is now more topical than ever. Billions of dollars have been given in grants or spent on the infrastructure of the development industry. The global aid and trade industry is gigantic and high-profile. It is also hugely controversial. Trade deals are accused of being ''unfair''. Aid agencies aresuspected of wasting funds, or engaging with corrupt regimes, or encouragingdependency. Despite the vast amounts of political capital spent on international development, it remains unclear what works and what doesn''t. Global inequality remains stark. Economic analysis can help resolve some of these issues. But some of the questions raised are of a more fundamental nature. They are issues of fairness, equity, right and wrong. The Ethics of Trade and Aid demonstrates how political philosophy provides us with insights often passed over in modern development jargon. Christopher Wraight scrutinises the trade and aid industry through the lens of philosophy and ultimately shows that a compassionate, rational and humane engagement with the global economy does hold the promise of a better, more equal life.

List of contents

Introduction \ 1. An Unequal World \ 2. The Ethical Imperative \ 3. Compassion and Justice \ 4. Giving \ 5. Trading \ 6. A More Equal World \ Further Reading \ Index.

About the author

Christopher D. Wraight has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, UK. He currently teaches with the Royal Institute of Philosophy.

Product details

• Authors: Christopher D Wraight, Christopher D. Wraight
• Assisted by: James Garvey (Editor), Jeremy Stangroom (Editor)
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 03.02.2011
• EAN: 9781441109514
• ISBN: 978-1-4411-0951-4
• No. of pages: 192
• Series: Think Now; Think Now (Continuum Hardcover; Think Now; Think Now (Continuum Hardcover
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Natural sciences (general); Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works; Social sciences, law, business > Business > General, dictionaries; Soziale und politische Philosophie, Entwicklungsstudien