The Ethics of Assistance

As globalization has deepened worldwide economic integration, moral and political philosophers have become increasingly concerned to assess duties to help needy people in foreign countries. The essays in this volume present the latest ideas on this important topic by authors who are leading figures in these debates. At issue are both the political responsibility of governments of affluent countries to relieve poverty abroad and the personal responsibility of individuals to assist the distant needy. The wide-ranging arguments shed light on global distributive justice, human rights and their implementation, the varieties of community and the obligations they generate, and the moral relevance of distance. This provocative and timely volume will interest scholars in ethics, political philosophy, political theory, international law and development economics, as well as policy makers, aid agencies, and general readers interested in the moral dimensions of poverty and affluence.

Author Biography

Deen K. Chatterjee is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. His areas of specialization are political philosophy, applied ethics, and philosophy of religion and culture. He is co-editor of Globalization, Development and Democracy (2003), and Ethics and Foreign Intervention (Cambridge, 2003).