Download ppt - Thinking About Globalization Michael Goheen Trinity Western University Langley, B.C

Thinking About Thinking About GlobalizationGlobalization

Michael GoheenMichael Goheen

Trinity Western UniversityTrinity Western University

Langley, B.C.Langley, B.C.

New World OrderNew World Order

20th Century: Bipolar (US, USSR)20th Century: Bipolar (US, USSR) Fall of CommunismFall of Communism New world order:New world order:

• One world order: economic globalization One world order: economic globalization and modernizationand modernization

• Bipolar: north/south; east/westBipolar: north/south; east/west• ChaosChaos• Clash of civilizationsClash of civilizations

Major Forces of Global PowerMajor Forces of Global Power

West: economic globalization and West: economic globalization and modernizationmodernization

IslamIslam China and economic powerChina and economic power Third world church and Third world church and

PentecostalismPentecostalism

Why is it important to understand?Why is it important to understand?

The reality of our world is not the end of The reality of our world is not the end of grand narratives, but the increasing grand narratives, but the increasing dominance of the narrative of economic dominance of the narrative of economic globalization. . . . This is the new globalization. . . . This is the new imperialism . . . (Richard Bauckham)imperialism . . . (Richard Bauckham)

Economic globalization is the greatest Economic globalization is the greatest challenge that the Christian mission challenge that the Christian mission faces (Rene Padilla). faces (Rene Padilla).

Importance of Understanding Importance of Understanding GlobalizationGlobalization

‘ ‘This moment, at the turn of the millennium, This moment, at the turn of the millennium, appears to me to be one of the most critical appears to me to be one of the most critical points in human history. Powerful, points in human history. Powerful, untruthful, hypnotic ideologies corrupted untruthful, hypnotic ideologies corrupted societies and destroyed millions of people societies and destroyed millions of people throughout the twentieth century. Yet none throughout the twentieth century. Yet none of them had the instruments of of them had the instruments of communication available to it to infiltrate communication available to it to infiltrate the human mind the way the present the human mind the way the present ideology of limitless economic and ideology of limitless economic and technological expansion can do.’ technological expansion can do.’ (Goudzwaard)(Goudzwaard)

Enlightenment Vision: Seeds of Enlightenment Vision: Seeds of Economic GlobalizationEconomic Globalization

ProgressProgress

‘‘The golden age does not lie behind us, The golden age does not lie behind us, but ahead of us’ (Saint-Simon, 1780-but ahead of us’ (Saint-Simon, 1780-1825).1825).


ProgressProgress Paradise imagesParadise images‘‘. . . whatever was the beginning of this . . . whatever was the beginning of this

world, the end will be glorious and world, the end will be glorious and paradisiacal, beyond what our paradisiacal, beyond what our imaginations can now conceive. . . imaginations can now conceive. . . nature . . . will be more at our command; nature . . . will be more at our command; men will make their situation in this world men will make their situation in this world abundantly more easy and comfortable’ abundantly more easy and comfortable’ (Joseph Priestly 1733-1804).(Joseph Priestly 1733-1804).


ProgressProgress Paradise imagesParadise images Material prosperityMaterial prosperity ‘ ‘Humanly speaking, the greatest happiness Humanly speaking, the greatest happiness

possible for us consists in the greatest possible possible for us consists in the greatest possible abundance of objects suitable for our enjoyment abundance of objects suitable for our enjoyment and in the greatest liberty to profit by them’ and in the greatest liberty to profit by them’ (Mercier de la Rivi(Mercier de la Rivière, 1767).ère, 1767).

‘ ‘Human happiness, according to Adam Smith and Human happiness, according to Adam Smith and his followers, depends on large measure on the his followers, depends on large measure on the possession and use of material prosperity’ (Myint, possession and use of material prosperity’ (Myint, contemporary economist).contemporary economist).


ProgressProgress Paradise imagesParadise images Material prosperityMaterial prosperity Reached by reasonReached by reason ‘ ‘The essential articles of the religion The essential articles of the religion

of the Enlightenment may be stated of the Enlightenment may be stated thus: . . . (3) man is capable, guided thus: . . . (3) man is capable, guided solely by the light of reason and solely by the light of reason and experience, of perfecting the good experience, of perfecting the good life on earth; . . .’ (Becker).life on earth; . . .’ (Becker).


ProgressProgress Paradise imagesParadise images Material prosperityMaterial prosperity Reached by reasonReached by reason Discerning natural lawsDiscerning natural laws Translated into technologyTranslated into technology

‘ ‘Where can the perfectibility of man stop, Where can the perfectibility of man stop, armed with geometry and the mechanical armed with geometry and the mechanical arts [technology] and chemistry?’ arts [technology] and chemistry?’ (S(Sébastien Mercier, 1770).ébastien Mercier, 1770).


ProgressProgress Paradise imagesParadise images Material prosperityMaterial prosperity Reached by reasonReached by reason Discerning natural lawsDiscerning natural laws Translated into technologyTranslated into technology Society reorganized according to reasonSociety reorganized according to reason ‘ ‘. . . a new social machinery could alter . . . a new social machinery could alter

human nature and create a heaven upon human nature and create a heaven upon earth’ (Bury).earth’ (Bury).


ProgressProgress Paradise imagesParadise images Material prosperityMaterial prosperity Reached by reasonReached by reason Discerning natural lawsDiscerning natural laws Translated into technologyTranslated into technology Society reorganized according to reasonSociety reorganized according to reason Exaggerated place of economicsExaggerated place of economics

Classical EconomicsClassical Economics Leading roleLeading role Mechanistic economic lawsMechanistic economic laws Smith’s ‘invisible hand’Smith’s ‘invisible hand’ Self-interested individualsSelf-interested individuals acting according to acting according to

self-interestself-interest harmony of conflicting interests harmony of conflicting interests material prosperitymaterial prosperity trickle down to prosper poor trickle down to prosper poor

‘ ‘The rich are led by an invisible hand to make The rich are led by an invisible hand to make nearly the same distribution of the necessaries of nearly the same distribution of the necessaries of life, which would have been made had the earth life, which would have been made had the earth been divided into equal portions among all its been divided into equal portions among all its inhabitants; and thus, without intending it, inhabitants; and thus, without intending it, without knowing it, advance the interest of without knowing it, advance the interest of society’ (Adam Smith).society’ (Adam Smith).

Classical EconomicsClassical Economics Leading roleLeading role Mechanistic economic lawsMechanistic economic laws Smith’s ‘invisible hand’Smith’s ‘invisible hand’ Two gambles (leaps of faith)Two gambles (leaps of faith)

• Happiness gamble: If we have more Happiness gamble: If we have more goods produced by labour we will be goods produced by labour we will be happy.happy.

• Market gamble: If we let the market be Market gamble: If we let the market be free for the economic self-interest of free for the economic self-interest of individuals then it will guide us to a individuals then it will guide us to a better future for all.better future for all.

Religious Choices of Enlightenment Religious Choices of Enlightenment VisionVision

End of human life: Material End of human life: Material prosperityprosperity

Relationship of human beings to Relationship of human beings to naturenature

Mechanistic understanding of lawMechanistic understanding of law

Vision Implemented in Industrial Vision Implemented in Industrial RevolutionRevolution

Science-based technologyScience-based technology Division and mechanization of labourDivision and mechanization of labour Tremendous economic growthTremendous economic growth Evolutionary worldview deepened Evolutionary worldview deepened

commitment to autonomous marketcommitment to autonomous market

Growth of Consumer CultureGrowth of Consumer Culture

Early growth of consumer culture in 20Early growth of consumer culture in 20thth centurycentury

Changes in capitalism in late 20Changes in capitalism in late 20thth century century• Less salting influence of gospel; increasing Less salting influence of gospel; increasing

selfishness and covetousnessselfishness and covetousness• Wealth of today vs. need of Smith’s dayWealth of today vs. need of Smith’s day• Economic totalitarianismEconomic totalitarianism• Technologically manipulated needs vs. existing Technologically manipulated needs vs. existing

needsneeds• Global marketGlobal market

Economic Globalization: What is it?Economic Globalization: What is it?

Companies expanding reach to Companies expanding reach to global marketglobal market

Stimulated by relaxed trade barriers Stimulated by relaxed trade barriers and developments in information and developments in information technologytechnology

Facilitated by multi- and trans-Facilitated by multi- and trans-national corporations and global national corporations and global capitalcapital

Late expression and global expansion Late expression and global expansion of modern religious metanarrativeof modern religious metanarrative

Late Modern StoryLate Modern Story

Globalization is ‘a form or method of Globalization is ‘a form or method of modernization on a global scale.’ modernization on a global scale.’

‘‘Possibly never before has modernity Possibly never before has modernity received higher expression than in today’s received higher expression than in today’s process of globalization.’ process of globalization.’

‘ ‘ . . . the word “modern” is not neutral; it . . . the word “modern” is not neutral; it cannot be divorced from a specific view of cannot be divorced from a specific view of life, humanity, the world, and ultimate life, humanity, the world, and ultimate meaning.’ meaning.’ - Bob - Bob GoudzwaardGoudzwaard

Economic GlobalizationEconomic Globalization

What is it?What is it? Trusting global marketTrusting global market Unjustly created market Unjustly created market

Unjust global marketUnjust global market

‘‘Asymmetric globalization’ (Stiglitz)Asymmetric globalization’ (Stiglitz) Market is createdMarket is created Financial sectorFinancial sector Creation of currencyCreation of currency Third world debtThird world debt Third world inclusion and exclusion Third world inclusion and exclusion

from global marketfrom global market

Economic GlobalizationEconomic Globalization

What is it?What is it? Trusting global marketTrusting global market Unjustly created marketUnjustly created market Growing poverty and ecological Growing poverty and ecological

damagedamage Three comments about global Three comments about global

market ideologymarket ideology

Three Comments on Global Market Three Comments on Global Market IdeologyIdeology

Free market is good but twisted by Free market is good but twisted by natural law theorynatural law theory

Market is one part of social fabric but Market is one part of social fabric but twisted by totalitarian influencetwisted by totalitarian influence

Market is creational but twisted by Market is creational but twisted by ‘messianic’ expectations‘messianic’ expectations

‘‘Free trade has never worked because it Free trade has never worked because it has never been tried.’ (Stiglitz)has never been tried.’ (Stiglitz)

Our Calling?Our Calling? Understand!Understand!

• Dynamics and facts about globalizationDynamics and facts about globalization• Potential solutions (e.g., Goudzwaard)Potential solutions (e.g., Goudzwaard)

Bible as true storyBible as true story Our part in missional encounterOur part in missional encounter Lifestyles of restraint and generosityLifestyles of restraint and generosity Suffering, spirituality, and communitySuffering, spirituality, and community