East-West Cosmopolitan Ethics: Adding Value to Global Social Existence
Abstract
Harvard University economist and social scientist Talcott Parsons defined culture as an outlook on reality (a worldview) formed by a social group as a conceptualization of its understanding of how to shape out of the conditions of existence maximized chances for survival, satisfaction, and increased enjoyment of life (this is true in both the East and the West). Parsons’ understanding of human social endeavors has an economic aspect in that is conceived of society as consisting of a plurality of individuals who have learned to interact together in such a way so as to shape out of their social and natural environments the optimization of material gratification. In this respect—from both the Eastern and Western perspective economics is inclusive of social normative prescriptions that are established—on the basis of collective reflection—in order to determine what is best for realizing the good life (i.e. happiness, flourishing, prosperity, and well-being to use Aristotle’s description of the good life). This makes the good life the end value that human social and economic endeavors are meant to achieve.
However, the natural forces that generated culture eventually prompted civilization (kingdoms, empires and nation states) and now civilization has evolved to the level of global social existence. Because the global is now localized (and vice versa) plus the market plays a major role in maximizing material satisfaction and the ability global citizens have for experiencing the value they seek there is increased concern for how to assure the delivery of real value. For this reason economic cosmopolitanism is increasingly recognized as a vital source for creating the value that is added to the services and products delivered to global citizens.
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