2 - Why we are here

Summary

‘Imagine some visionary statesman, in 1830 say, posing the question of how the advanced states of Europe and North America can preserve and, if possible, expand their economic dominance over the rest of the world even while bringing themselves into compliance with the core norms of Enlightenment morality. Find the best solution to this task you can think of and then compare it to the world today. Could the West have done any better?’. This question is posed by Thomas Pogge explaining the ability of rational humans to shape their thinking to suit their interests. Pogge does not believe that any such grand plan existed or exists but nevertheless believes that the prevalence of extreme poverty and the reasons given for not tackling the issue are a prime example of avoidance techniques by the rich: ‘moral norms, designed to protect the livelihood and dignity of the vulnerable, place burdens on the strong. If such norms are compelling enough, the strong make an effort to comply. But they also, consciously or unconsciously, try to get around the norms by arranging their social world so as to minimise their burdens of compliance’. In this chapter I examine some of the most important devices for achieving this effect. One of the most important is the limited liability company and the demands made on its managers to maximise the profits of shareholders.