Wilfred Beckerman and Joanna Pasek
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199245086
- eISBN:
- 9780191598784
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199245088.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
In rich countries, environmental problems are seen as problems of prosperity. In poor countries, they are seen as problems of poverty. This is because the environmental problems in poor ...
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In rich countries, environmental problems are seen as problems of prosperity. In poor countries, they are seen as problems of poverty. This is because the environmental problems in poor countries—such as lack of clean drinking water or decent sanitation—are problems that affect them here and now, whereas in rich countries the environmental problems that people worry about most—largely as a result of current prosperity and economic growth—are those that seem likely to harm mainly posterity and hence violate our obligations to future generations.But what exactly are our obligations to future generations? Are they determined by some sort of ethical system, such as the ‘rights’ of future generations, or justice between generations, or intergenerational equity, or sustainable development? The first part of this book is addressed to these questions. It is argued that while ethical ‘systems’ do not provide much help, we still have moral obligations to take account of the interests that future generations will have. But an appraisal of these interests in the light of probable future developments suggests that, while environmental problems have to be taken seriously, our main obligation to future generations is to bequeath to them a more decent society in which there is greater respect for basic human rights than is the case today throughout most of the world.Furthermore, it cannot serve the interests of justice if the burden of protecting the environment for the benefit of posterity is born mainly by poorer people today. More resources devoted to the environment means fewer are devoted competing claims for, say, health care or education or housing, not to mention plain private consumption. And in poor countries millions of people suffer from acute lack of sanitation, clean drinking water, shelter, and basic infrastructures to prevent or cure widespread disease. Neither generations nor nations are homogeneous entities. The later chapters of this book, therefore, are addressed to the ethical aspects of the way that resources ought to be shared out between environmental protection and competing uses in all countries, and how the burden of dealing with global environmental problems ought to be shared out between rich and poor nations.Less
In rich countries, environmental problems are seen as problems of prosperity. In poor countries, they are seen as problems of poverty. This is because the environmental problems in poor countries—such as lack of clean drinking water or decent sanitation—are problems that affect them here and now, whereas in rich countries the environmental problems that people worry about most—largely as a result of current prosperity and economic growth—are those that seem likely to harm mainly posterity and hence violate our obligations to future generations.
But what exactly are our obligations to future generations? Are they determined by some sort of ethical system, such as the ‘rights’ of future generations, or justice between generations, or intergenerational equity, or sustainable development? The first part of this book is addressed to these questions. It is argued that while ethical ‘systems’ do not provide much help, we still have moral obligations to take account of the interests that future generations will have. But an appraisal of these interests in the light of probable future developments suggests that, while environmental problems have to be taken seriously, our main obligation to future generations is to bequeath to them a more decent society in which there is greater respect for basic human rights than is the case today throughout most of the world.
Furthermore, it cannot serve the interests of justice if the burden of protecting the environment for the benefit of posterity is born mainly by poorer people today. More resources devoted to the environment means fewer are devoted competing claims for, say, health care or education or housing, not to mention plain private consumption. And in poor countries millions of people suffer from acute lack of sanitation, clean drinking water, shelter, and basic infrastructures to prevent or cure widespread disease. Neither generations nor nations are homogeneous entities. The later chapters of this book, therefore, are addressed to the ethical aspects of the way that resources ought to be shared out between environmental protection and competing uses in all countries, and how the burden of dealing with global environmental problems ought to be shared out between rich and poor nations.
Colin M. Macleod
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198293972
- eISBN:
- 9780191599798
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198293976.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This book presents a systemic and definitive critique of Ronald Dworkin's highly influential theory of liberal equality. Focusing on the connection Dworkin attempts to establish between economic ...
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This book presents a systemic and definitive critique of Ronald Dworkin's highly influential theory of liberal equality. Focusing on the connection Dworkin attempts to establish between economic markets and liberal equality, the book examines Dworkin's contention that markets have an indispensable role to play in the articulation of liberal ideals of distributive justice, individual liberty, and state neutrality. The book also examines the issues concerning individual responsibility and entitlement as well as the nature of justice with respect to persons with disabilities. The author argues that Dworkin's attempt to establish deep affinities between the market and equality is unsuccessful and his proposed solutions to some central controversies in political theory are seriously flawed. This powerful examination of the work of America's leading public philosopher reveals some timely lessons about the hazards and limitations of the market as a device for the articulation and realization of egalitarian justice.Less
This book presents a systemic and definitive critique of Ronald Dworkin's highly influential theory of liberal equality. Focusing on the connection Dworkin attempts to establish between economic markets and liberal equality, the book examines Dworkin's contention that markets have an indispensable role to play in the articulation of liberal ideals of distributive justice, individual liberty, and state neutrality. The book also examines the issues concerning individual responsibility and entitlement as well as the nature of justice with respect to persons with disabilities. The author argues that Dworkin's attempt to establish deep affinities between the market and equality is unsuccessful and his proposed solutions to some central controversies in political theory are seriously flawed. This powerful examination of the work of America's leading public philosopher reveals some timely lessons about the hazards and limitations of the market as a device for the articulation and realization of egalitarian justice.
David Miller
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199235056
- eISBN:
- 9780191715792
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199235056.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Russian Politics
This book presents a non-cosmopolitan theory of global justice. In contrast to theories that seek to extend principles of social justice, such as equality of opportunity or resources, to the world as ...
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This book presents a non-cosmopolitan theory of global justice. In contrast to theories that seek to extend principles of social justice, such as equality of opportunity or resources, to the world as a whole, it argues that in a world made up of self-determining national communities, a different conception is needed. The book presents and defends an account of national responsibility which entails that nations may justifiably claim the benefits that their decisions and policies produce, while also being held liable for harms that they inflict on other peoples. Such collective responsibility extends to responsibility for the national past, so the present generation may owe redress to those who have been harmed by the actions of their predecessors. Global justice, therefore, must be understood not in terms of equality, but in terms of a minimum set of basic rights that belong to human beings everywhere. Where these rights are being violated or threatened, remedial responsibility may fall on outsiders. The book considers how this responsibility should be allocated, and how far citizens of democratic societies must limit their pursuit of domestic objectives in order to discharge their global obligations.Less
This book presents a non-cosmopolitan theory of global justice. In contrast to theories that seek to extend principles of social justice, such as equality of opportunity or resources, to the world as a whole, it argues that in a world made up of self-determining national communities, a different conception is needed. The book presents and defends an account of national responsibility which entails that nations may justifiably claim the benefits that their decisions and policies produce, while also being held liable for harms that they inflict on other peoples. Such collective responsibility extends to responsibility for the national past, so the present generation may owe redress to those who have been harmed by the actions of their predecessors. Global justice, therefore, must be understood not in terms of equality, but in terms of a minimum set of basic rights that belong to human beings everywhere. Where these rights are being violated or threatened, remedial responsibility may fall on outsiders. The book considers how this responsibility should be allocated, and how far citizens of democratic societies must limit their pursuit of domestic objectives in order to discharge their global obligations.
Alexander Segovia
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199291922
- eISBN:
- 9780191603716
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199291926.003.0020
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
One of the least studied aspects of programs of reparation, both in theory and in practice, is financing. This is odd given the fact that mobilizing resources, both domestic and foreign, is ...
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One of the least studied aspects of programs of reparation, both in theory and in practice, is financing. This is odd given the fact that mobilizing resources, both domestic and foreign, is politically one of the most difficult tasks any society can undertake. This paper centers on the subject of financing reparation programs and attempts to answer the following questions: Which factors play a role in the process of mobilizing domestic and foreign resources to finance reparations? Is financing solely a technical-economic problem, or does it involve political, social, and cultural factors? Why do governments prefer financing social programs instead of programs of reparation? How do the proposals made by truth commissions regarding financing affect the viability of programs of reparation? Which factors explain the efficacy of financing models of reparation programs? In order to address these questions, the paper has been divided into three main sections. In the first, programs of reparation are analyzed from the perspective of political economy, which means that both economic and non-economic factors that influence the mobilization of domestic and foreign resources by a transitional society are taken into consideration. The second section focuses on international experiences in the area of financing programs of reparation, with the purpose of extracting some lessons. The third section presents the main conclusions of the study.Less
One of the least studied aspects of programs of reparation, both in theory and in practice, is financing. This is odd given the fact that mobilizing resources, both domestic and foreign, is politically one of the most difficult tasks any society can undertake. This paper centers on the subject of financing reparation programs and attempts to answer the following questions: Which factors play a role in the process of mobilizing domestic and foreign resources to finance reparations? Is financing solely a technical-economic problem, or does it involve political, social, and cultural factors? Why do governments prefer financing social programs instead of programs of reparation? How do the proposals made by truth commissions regarding financing affect the viability of programs of reparation? Which factors explain the efficacy of financing models of reparation programs? In order to address these questions, the paper has been divided into three main sections. In the first, programs of reparation are analyzed from the perspective of political economy, which means that both economic and non-economic factors that influence the mobilization of domestic and foreign resources by a transitional society are taken into consideration. The second section focuses on international experiences in the area of financing programs of reparation, with the purpose of extracting some lessons. The third section presents the main conclusions of the study.
James Halteman and Edd Noell
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199763702
- eISBN:
- 9780199932252
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199763702.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Financial Economics
Heterodox economics presents alternative critical explanations for the driving forces behind capitalism. The chapter examines the distinctive moral reflections expressed by Karl Marx, Thorstein ...
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Heterodox economics presents alternative critical explanations for the driving forces behind capitalism. The chapter examines the distinctive moral reflections expressed by Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen, and Friedrich Hayek. Marx’s historical materialism relies on dialectical reasoning to explain class struggle and economic change. His valuation of human autonomy, as ultimately manifested in communism, drives his moral critique of capitalism. Veblen’s understanding of the complex instincts underlying economic activity lays a path for more extensive incorporation of moral reflections in economics. Yet his evolutionary economics posits no final purpose in human economic activity. Hayek challenges the perfect information assumption of neoclassical economics, finding that competitive markets continually generate new information that creates disequilibrium. His reflections on the origins of moral codes and critique of collectivist planning affirm the superiority of the norm of liberty. The chapter concludes with the vignette “Karl Marx: Can a Materialist Produce a Moral Critique of Capitalism?”Less
Heterodox economics presents alternative critical explanations for the driving forces behind capitalism. The chapter examines the distinctive moral reflections expressed by Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen, and Friedrich Hayek. Marx’s historical materialism relies on dialectical reasoning to explain class struggle and economic change. His valuation of human autonomy, as ultimately manifested in communism, drives his moral critique of capitalism. Veblen’s understanding of the complex instincts underlying economic activity lays a path for more extensive incorporation of moral reflections in economics. Yet his evolutionary economics posits no final purpose in human economic activity. Hayek challenges the perfect information assumption of neoclassical economics, finding that competitive markets continually generate new information that creates disequilibrium. His reflections on the origins of moral codes and critique of collectivist planning affirm the superiority of the norm of liberty. The chapter concludes with the vignette “Karl Marx: Can a Materialist Produce a Moral Critique of Capitalism?”
Alfred Greiner and Willi Semmler
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328233
- eISBN:
- 9780199869985
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328233.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Recently, the public attention has turned toward the intricate interrelation between economic growth and global warming. This book focuses on this nexus but broadens the framework to study the issue. ...
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Recently, the public attention has turned toward the intricate interrelation between economic growth and global warming. This book focuses on this nexus but broadens the framework to study the issue. Growth is seen as global growth, which affects the global environment and climate change. Global growth, in particular high economic growth rates, implies a fast depletion of renewable and non-renewable resources. Thus, this book deals with the impact of the environment and the effect of the exhaustive use of natural resources on economic growth and welfare of market economies, as well as the reverse linkage. It is arranged in three parts: Part I of the book discusses the environment and growth. The role of environmental pollution is integrated into modern endogenous growth models and recently developed dynamic methods and techniques are used to derive appropriate abatement activities that policymakers can institute. Part II looks at global climate change using these same growth models. Here, too, direct and transparent policy implications are provided. More specifically, tax measures, such as a carbon tax, are favored over emission trading as instruments of mitigation policies. Part III evaluates the use and overuse of renewable and non-renewable resources in the context of a variety of dynamic models. This part of the book, in particular, considers the cases when resources interact as an ecological system and analyze issues of ownership of resources as well as policy measures to avoid the overuse of resources. In addition, not only intertemporal resource allocation but also the eminent issues relating to intertemporal inequities, as well as policy measures to overcome them, are discussed in each part of the book.Less
Recently, the public attention has turned toward the intricate interrelation between economic growth and global warming. This book focuses on this nexus but broadens the framework to study the issue. Growth is seen as global growth, which affects the global environment and climate change. Global growth, in particular high economic growth rates, implies a fast depletion of renewable and non-renewable resources. Thus, this book deals with the impact of the environment and the effect of the exhaustive use of natural resources on economic growth and welfare of market economies, as well as the reverse linkage. It is arranged in three parts: Part I of the book discusses the environment and growth. The role of environmental pollution is integrated into modern endogenous growth models and recently developed dynamic methods and techniques are used to derive appropriate abatement activities that policymakers can institute. Part II looks at global climate change using these same growth models. Here, too, direct and transparent policy implications are provided. More specifically, tax measures, such as a carbon tax, are favored over emission trading as instruments of mitigation policies. Part III evaluates the use and overuse of renewable and non-renewable resources in the context of a variety of dynamic models. This part of the book, in particular, considers the cases when resources interact as an ecological system and analyze issues of ownership of resources as well as policy measures to avoid the overuse of resources. In addition, not only intertemporal resource allocation but also the eminent issues relating to intertemporal inequities, as well as policy measures to overcome them, are discussed in each part of the book.
Alfred Greiner and Willi Semmler
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328233
- eISBN:
- 9780199869985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328233.003.0014
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter presents an overview of the chapters (Chapters 14-16) in Part III of the book. This part of the book focuses on the high demand for renewable and non-renewable resources arising from ...
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This chapter presents an overview of the chapters (Chapters 14-16) in Part III of the book. This part of the book focuses on the high demand for renewable and non-renewable resources arising from global economic growth.Less
This chapter presents an overview of the chapters (Chapters 14-16) in Part III of the book. This part of the book focuses on the high demand for renewable and non-renewable resources arising from global economic growth.
Alfred Greiner and Willi Semmler
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328233
- eISBN:
- 9780199869985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328233.003.0018
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This concluding chapter presents a synthesis of discussions in the preceding chapters. The first part of the book analyzed in a small-scale model the interrelation between economic growth, the ...
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This concluding chapter presents a synthesis of discussions in the preceding chapters. The first part of the book analyzed in a small-scale model the interrelation between economic growth, the environment, and welfare of a country. The second part of the book studied the interaction of growth and global warming. The third part was concerned with economic growth and renewable and nonrenewable resources as well as with policies to prevent overextraction of those resources.Less
This concluding chapter presents a synthesis of discussions in the preceding chapters. The first part of the book analyzed in a small-scale model the interrelation between economic growth, the environment, and welfare of a country. The second part of the book studied the interaction of growth and global warming. The third part was concerned with economic growth and renewable and nonrenewable resources as well as with policies to prevent overextraction of those resources.
Lionel Wee
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199737437
- eISBN:
- 9780199827107
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199737437.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This volume is a book-length critique of the concept of language rights. It presents a balanced, though ultimately skeptical, evaluation of language rights. Through a sophisticated ...
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This volume is a book-length critique of the concept of language rights. It presents a balanced, though ultimately skeptical, evaluation of language rights. Through a sophisticated synthesis of insights from a variety of disciplines, including linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, sociology and political philosophy, it demonstrates how the appeal to language rights faces a number of conceptual and practical problems, particularly because the discourse of rights is fundamentally inconsistent with the socially variable nature of language. The book also explores an alternative that is more in tune with the complexities of language in social life by suggesting that issues involving language are better managed within a model of deliberative democracy.Less
This volume is a book-length critique of the concept of language rights. It presents a balanced, though ultimately skeptical, evaluation of language rights. Through a sophisticated synthesis of insights from a variety of disciplines, including linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, sociology and political philosophy, it demonstrates how the appeal to language rights faces a number of conceptual and practical problems, particularly because the discourse of rights is fundamentally inconsistent with the socially variable nature of language. The book also explores an alternative that is more in tune with the complexities of language in social life by suggesting that issues involving language are better managed within a model of deliberative democracy.
Elizabeth Wicks
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547395
- eISBN:
- 9780191594373
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547395.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Medical Law
The right to life is a core human right which has not yet received the detailed legal analysis that it requires. This book provides detailed, critical analysis of the controversial human right to ...
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The right to life is a core human right which has not yet received the detailed legal analysis that it requires. This book provides detailed, critical analysis of the controversial human right to life and, in particular, assesses the weight of conflicting interests which could and/or should serve to override the right. This contemporary study of the right to life focuses on the legal, as well as ethical, issues raised by the value of life in modern day society. It seeks to analyse the development, meaning and value of the fundamental human right to life in the context of its conflicts with other competing interests. The book begins with an overview of the right to life in which the concept of life itself is first analysed, before both the right and its legal protection and enforcement are subjected to historical, philosophical and comparative analysis. The remainder of the book identifies, and assesses the merits of, various competing interests. These comprise armed conflict; prevention of crime; rights of others; autonomy; quality of life; and finite resources. The right to life is unusual in having potential application to so many of today’s ethically controversial questions. This new work investigates specific topics of current political, legal and ethical concern such as the right to life during international conflicts, the role of lethal force in law enforcement, the death penalty, the right to life of a foetus in the context of legalized abortion, and the significance of quality of life and autonomy issues in respect of euthanasia and assisted suicide.Less
The right to life is a core human right which has not yet received the detailed legal analysis that it requires. This book provides detailed, critical analysis of the controversial human right to life and, in particular, assesses the weight of conflicting interests which could and/or should serve to override the right. This contemporary study of the right to life focuses on the legal, as well as ethical, issues raised by the value of life in modern day society. It seeks to analyse the development, meaning and value of the fundamental human right to life in the context of its conflicts with other competing interests. The book begins with an overview of the right to life in which the concept of life itself is first analysed, before both the right and its legal protection and enforcement are subjected to historical, philosophical and comparative analysis. The remainder of the book identifies, and assesses the merits of, various competing interests. These comprise armed conflict; prevention of crime; rights of others; autonomy; quality of life; and finite resources. The right to life is unusual in having potential application to so many of today’s ethically controversial questions. This new work investigates specific topics of current political, legal and ethical concern such as the right to life during international conflicts, the role of lethal force in law enforcement, the death penalty, the right to life of a foetus in the context of legalized abortion, and the significance of quality of life and autonomy issues in respect of euthanasia and assisted suicide.
T.A. Bhavani and N.R. Bhanumurthy
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198076650
- eISBN:
- 9780199081868
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198076650.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics
This study focuses on the state of financial access in post-reform India. It is analysed from the macroeconomic growth perspective keeping in view the importance of rapid growth for the Indian ...
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This study focuses on the state of financial access in post-reform India. It is analysed from the macroeconomic growth perspective keeping in view the importance of rapid growth for the Indian economy and the fact that majority of production organizations especially in the unorganized segment are yet to have access to the formal financial system. Financial access is considered in terms of actual use of one of the financial services, that is, supply of financial resources for productive investment purpose. The study measures financial access in terms of availability of finances from the formal financial institutions and their adequacy in taking care of productive investment needs. Adequacy of finances is assessed through financial resource gap, that is, proportion of productive investment that is not funded by the formal financial institutions. Availability and adequacy of resources from the formal financial system is analysed at different levels of aggregation: household, sector (agriculture, industry and services), segment (unorganized and organized), and economy. Industry and services sectors are divided into organized and unorganized segments given their differential access to the formal financial system and financial access is computed separately for the two segments. In addition, the study compares India with selected countries (Brazil, China, and United Kingdom) and within India it compares private sector banks with public sector banks. Finally, it provides policy recommendations.Less
This study focuses on the state of financial access in post-reform India. It is analysed from the macroeconomic growth perspective keeping in view the importance of rapid growth for the Indian economy and the fact that majority of production organizations especially in the unorganized segment are yet to have access to the formal financial system. Financial access is considered in terms of actual use of one of the financial services, that is, supply of financial resources for productive investment purpose. The study measures financial access in terms of availability of finances from the formal financial institutions and their adequacy in taking care of productive investment needs. Adequacy of finances is assessed through financial resource gap, that is, proportion of productive investment that is not funded by the formal financial institutions. Availability and adequacy of resources from the formal financial system is analysed at different levels of aggregation: household, sector (agriculture, industry and services), segment (unorganized and organized), and economy. Industry and services sectors are divided into organized and unorganized segments given their differential access to the formal financial system and financial access is computed separately for the two segments. In addition, the study compares India with selected countries (Brazil, China, and United Kingdom) and within India it compares private sector banks with public sector banks. Finally, it provides policy recommendations.
Alfred Greiner and Willi Semmler
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328233
- eISBN:
- 9780199869985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328233.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This introductory chapter focuses on the impact of the globalization of economic activities on global growth, resources, and environment. It cites the increased demand for natural resources, ...
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This introductory chapter focuses on the impact of the globalization of economic activities on global growth, resources, and environment. It cites the increased demand for natural resources, especially by developing countries. It also considers the effects of environmental pollution. An overview of the three parts of the book is presented.Less
This introductory chapter focuses on the impact of the globalization of economic activities on global growth, resources, and environment. It cites the increased demand for natural resources, especially by developing countries. It also considers the effects of environmental pollution. An overview of the three parts of the book is presented.
Andrew Simms
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195168006
- eISBN:
- 9780199783458
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195168003.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter broadens the analysis of sovereign debt by incorporating ecological concerns. Centuries of consumption of the natural resources of the developing world by the developed world, resources ...
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This chapter broadens the analysis of sovereign debt by incorporating ecological concerns. Centuries of consumption of the natural resources of the developing world by the developed world, resources that in many cases were acquired illegally or by force, have produced what is describes as an ecological debt of the rich countries to the poor countries. The imbalance in resource consumption helps explain the dramatic divergence in income levels between rich nations and poor nations that has occurred since the early 20th century. It is argued that there is a sustainable equilibrium in the use of the world's natural resources — clean air, fresh water, timber, and petroleum. The wealthy nations of the world have upset that equilibrium at the expense of the poor — taking more than their share of the goods while inflicting the costs of resource depletion and pollution on the poor.Less
This chapter broadens the analysis of sovereign debt by incorporating ecological concerns. Centuries of consumption of the natural resources of the developing world by the developed world, resources that in many cases were acquired illegally or by force, have produced what is describes as an ecological debt of the rich countries to the poor countries. The imbalance in resource consumption helps explain the dramatic divergence in income levels between rich nations and poor nations that has occurred since the early 20th century. It is argued that there is a sustainable equilibrium in the use of the world's natural resources — clean air, fresh water, timber, and petroleum. The wealthy nations of the world have upset that equilibrium at the expense of the poor — taking more than their share of the goods while inflicting the costs of resource depletion and pollution on the poor.
Gijs Van Donselaar
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195140392
- eISBN:
- 9780199871483
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195140392.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
In 1895, an English farmer diverted the course of a stream that was flowing through his land, thereby cutting off the supply to the water reservoir of the neighboring community. The courts ...
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In 1895, an English farmer diverted the course of a stream that was flowing through his land, thereby cutting off the supply to the water reservoir of the neighboring community. The courts established that it had been his purpose to “injure the plaintiffs by carrying off the water and to compel them to buy him off.” Regardless of what the law says, most people will feel that the farmer's intentions were morally unjust; he was trying to abuse his property rights in order to take advantage of others. Yet, as this book explains, the major traditions in the theory of economic justice, both from the libertarian right and from the egalitarian left, have failed to appreciate the moral objection to exploitative behavior that this case displays. Those traditions entertain radically opposed views on how private property should be distributed, but they do not consider the legitimacy of constraints on the exercise of property rights—however they are distributed. The second part of the book demonstrates how this failure clears the way for a recent egalitarian argument, gaining in popularity, for a so-called unconditional basic income. If all have an initial right to an equal share of the resources of the world, then it soon seems to follow that all have a right to an equal share of the value of the resources of the world, which could be cashed in as a labor-free income. That inference is only valid if moral behavior similar to that of the farmer is tolerated.Less
In 1895, an English farmer diverted the course of a stream that was flowing through his land, thereby cutting off the supply to the water reservoir of the neighboring community. The courts established that it had been his purpose to “injure the plaintiffs by carrying off the water and to compel them to buy him off.” Regardless of what the law says, most people will feel that the farmer's intentions were morally unjust; he was trying to abuse his property rights in order to take advantage of others. Yet, as this book explains, the major traditions in the theory of economic justice, both from the libertarian right and from the egalitarian left, have failed to appreciate the moral objection to exploitative behavior that this case displays. Those traditions entertain radically opposed views on how private property should be distributed, but they do not consider the legitimacy of constraints on the exercise of property rights—however they are distributed. The second part of the book demonstrates how this failure clears the way for a recent egalitarian argument, gaining in popularity, for a so-called unconditional basic income. If all have an initial right to an equal share of the resources of the world, then it soon seems to follow that all have a right to an equal share of the value of the resources of the world, which could be cashed in as a labor-free income. That inference is only valid if moral behavior similar to that of the farmer is tolerated.
López Ramón and Michael A. Toman
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199298006
- eISBN:
- 9780191603877
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199298009.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
There are currently two types of ‘dualism’ in patterns of resource use within developing countries that are relevant to the problem of resource degradation and poverty. The first ‘dualism’ concerns ...
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There are currently two types of ‘dualism’ in patterns of resource use within developing countries that are relevant to the problem of resource degradation and poverty. The first ‘dualism’ concerns aggregate resource use and dependency within the global economy. The second ‘dualism’ concerns aggregate resource use and dependency within a developing economy. This ‘dualism within dualism’ pattern is symptomatic of a process of resource-based development, accompanied by substantial resource conversion, which often leads to benefits that are inequitably distributed. To reverse this ‘vicious cycle’, specific policies must be aimed at overcoming the structural features of ‘dualism within dualism’ in resource use patterns. Second, policies must also be introduced that improve the overall success of resource-based development that is accompanied by frontier land expansion. Specific policies include reform of land, tax, credit, and other economic policies that generally reinforce the dominance of wealthier households in natural resource and land markets, and promote the speculative investment in these resources as tax shelters.Less
There are currently two types of ‘dualism’ in patterns of resource use within developing countries that are relevant to the problem of resource degradation and poverty. The first ‘dualism’ concerns aggregate resource use and dependency within the global economy. The second ‘dualism’ concerns aggregate resource use and dependency within a developing economy. This ‘dualism within dualism’ pattern is symptomatic of a process of resource-based development, accompanied by substantial resource conversion, which often leads to benefits that are inequitably distributed. To reverse this ‘vicious cycle’, specific policies must be aimed at overcoming the structural features of ‘dualism within dualism’ in resource use patterns. Second, policies must also be introduced that improve the overall success of resource-based development that is accompanied by frontier land expansion. Specific policies include reform of land, tax, credit, and other economic policies that generally reinforce the dominance of wealthier households in natural resource and land markets, and promote the speculative investment in these resources as tax shelters.
Brett M. Frischmann
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199895656
- eISBN:
- 9780199933280
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199895656.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Environmental and Energy Law
Infrastructure and commons are not typically thought to be related to one another. Both concepts have rich histories and varied meaning, and both involve complex phenomena that are the subject of ...
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Infrastructure and commons are not typically thought to be related to one another. Both concepts have rich histories and varied meaning, and both involve complex phenomena that are the subject of study in various disciplines, including engineering, economics, political science, and law. There is no separate field of infrastructure study or commons study, and there are no settled universal theories or even definitions of infrastructure or commons. This chapter develops the foundation for bringing the concepts together. After a brief introduction to the modern conception of infrastructure and its traditional roots in large-scale, human-made physical resource systems, it discusses a few observations about traditional infrastructure resources, including the important observation that traditional infrastructures are generally “managed as commons”.Less
Infrastructure and commons are not typically thought to be related to one another. Both concepts have rich histories and varied meaning, and both involve complex phenomena that are the subject of study in various disciplines, including engineering, economics, political science, and law. There is no separate field of infrastructure study or commons study, and there are no settled universal theories or even definitions of infrastructure or commons. This chapter develops the foundation for bringing the concepts together. After a brief introduction to the modern conception of infrastructure and its traditional roots in large-scale, human-made physical resource systems, it discusses a few observations about traditional infrastructure resources, including the important observation that traditional infrastructures are generally “managed as commons”.
Clair Brown, Michael Reich, Lloyd Ulman, and Yoshifumi Nakata
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195115215
- eISBN:
- 9780199854820
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195115215.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
This book provides an integrated and detailed analysis of the components of firm human resources systems in the U.S. and Japan. It examines the relationship between company practices and national ...
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This book provides an integrated and detailed analysis of the components of firm human resources systems in the U.S. and Japan. It examines the relationship between company practices and national economic institutions. The authors address a number of key questions about employer–employee relations. How have major Japanese manufacturing companies been able to convert the assurance of “lifetime” employment security into a source of superior employee efficiency and adaptability, when job and income security have been feared as a source of “shirking” and wage inflation in the U.S.? How have higher economic and real wage growth rates been associated with greater equality in earned income distribution in Japan, when the incentive role of income inequality to worker effort and savings has been stressed in the U.S.? How could the Japanese emphasis on employment security in the firm be reconciled with greater price stability and lower unemployment than in the U.S.? This work analyses elements such as employee training and involvement programs, wage behavior as an incentive system and an alternate channel of savings, and synchronous wage determination (shunto) at work in the Japanese economy, which provide for such successes. It also explores the costs that have been associated with these Japanese accomplishments, as well as who must bear them. Finally, it examines the outlook for these distinctive Japanese institutions and practices in a period of slower growth and economic “maturity.” Based on a research project carried out in both countries, it concludes with the lessons that each country can learn much from the employment practices of the other.Less
This book provides an integrated and detailed analysis of the components of firm human resources systems in the U.S. and Japan. It examines the relationship between company practices and national economic institutions. The authors address a number of key questions about employer–employee relations. How have major Japanese manufacturing companies been able to convert the assurance of “lifetime” employment security into a source of superior employee efficiency and adaptability, when job and income security have been feared as a source of “shirking” and wage inflation in the U.S.? How have higher economic and real wage growth rates been associated with greater equality in earned income distribution in Japan, when the incentive role of income inequality to worker effort and savings has been stressed in the U.S.? How could the Japanese emphasis on employment security in the firm be reconciled with greater price stability and lower unemployment than in the U.S.? This work analyses elements such as employee training and involvement programs, wage behavior as an incentive system and an alternate channel of savings, and synchronous wage determination (shunto) at work in the Japanese economy, which provide for such successes. It also explores the costs that have been associated with these Japanese accomplishments, as well as who must bear them. Finally, it examines the outlook for these distinctive Japanese institutions and practices in a period of slower growth and economic “maturity.” Based on a research project carried out in both countries, it concludes with the lessons that each country can learn much from the employment practices of the other.
Martine Quinzii
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195065534
- eISBN:
- 9780199855063
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195065534.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Financial Economics
Increasing returns to scale is an area in economics that is becoming more important in the literature. The economic phenomenon of increasing returns presents serious conceptual difficulties for the ...
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Increasing returns to scale is an area in economics that is becoming more important in the literature. The economic phenomenon of increasing returns presents serious conceptual difficulties for the traditional competitive theory of resource allocation. While most firms exhibit constant or decreasing returns to scale, some firms manufacture products whose technology permits increasing returns to scale that are large relative to the market. These goods are an important component of economic activity in a modern economy and are typically commodities produced either by a public sector or, as in the United States, by regulated utilities. This book analyzes increasing returns using general equilibrium theory to take into account the interactions between production in the public and the private sectors, and the effects of financing the public sector on the redistribution of income.Less
Increasing returns to scale is an area in economics that is becoming more important in the literature. The economic phenomenon of increasing returns presents serious conceptual difficulties for the traditional competitive theory of resource allocation. While most firms exhibit constant or decreasing returns to scale, some firms manufacture products whose technology permits increasing returns to scale that are large relative to the market. These goods are an important component of economic activity in a modern economy and are typically commodities produced either by a public sector or, as in the United States, by regulated utilities. This book analyzes increasing returns using general equilibrium theory to take into account the interactions between production in the public and the private sectors, and the effects of financing the public sector on the redistribution of income.
Partha Dasgupta
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198288350
- eISBN:
- 9780191596094
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198288352.003.0016
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The main part of this chapter discusses the household as an allocation mechanism. It has eight sections; (1) gender differentials among adults; (2) allocations among girls and boys; (3) bridewealth ...
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The main part of this chapter discusses the household as an allocation mechanism. It has eight sections; (1) gender differentials among adults; (2) allocations among girls and boys; (3) bridewealth and dowry; (4) regional patterns of household allocations: the case of India; (5) marriage and inheritance in India; (6) bargaining theory as a framework for household choice; (7) the Nash programme: a formalization; and (8) bargaining versus maximization of well‐being within the household. An extra and separate section (designated Chapter *11) gives theoretical presentations on two aspects of the axiomatic bargaining theory: (1) the Nash bargaining solution; and (2) the Kalai–Smorodinsky bargaining solution.Less
The main part of this chapter discusses the household as an allocation mechanism. It has eight sections; (1) gender differentials among adults; (2) allocations among girls and boys; (3) bridewealth and dowry; (4) regional patterns of household allocations: the case of India; (5) marriage and inheritance in India; (6) bargaining theory as a framework for household choice; (7) the Nash programme: a formalization; and (8) bargaining versus maximization of well‐being within the household. An extra and separate section (designated Chapter *11) gives theoretical presentations on two aspects of the axiomatic bargaining theory: (1) the Nash bargaining solution; and (2) the Kalai–Smorodinsky bargaining solution.
Madhav Gadgil and Ramachandra Guha
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780198077442
- eISBN:
- 9780199082155
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077442.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
This book emphasizes the significance of various ways of resource use in India. This book is divided into three parts. The first part examines the several forms of restraint on resource use reported ...
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This book emphasizes the significance of various ways of resource use in India. This book is divided into three parts. The first part examines the several forms of restraint on resource use reported from human societies. In the second part, a new interpretation of how the cultural and ecological mosaic of Indian society came together is discussed. The last part presents a socio-ecological analysis of the new modes of resource use which were introduced by the British, and which have continued to operate, with modifications, after Independence in 1947. It also indicates that the British colonial rule established a crucial watershed in the ecological history of India. Generally, this book reports new data along with new interpretations of old data, and, most importantly, it shows a new and alternative framework for understanding Indian society and history.Less
This book emphasizes the significance of various ways of resource use in India. This book is divided into three parts. The first part examines the several forms of restraint on resource use reported from human societies. In the second part, a new interpretation of how the cultural and ecological mosaic of Indian society came together is discussed. The last part presents a socio-ecological analysis of the new modes of resource use which were introduced by the British, and which have continued to operate, with modifications, after Independence in 1947. It also indicates that the British colonial rule established a crucial watershed in the ecological history of India. Generally, this book reports new data along with new interpretations of old data, and, most importantly, it shows a new and alternative framework for understanding Indian society and history.
