Ethics & International Affairs Volume 28.2 (Summer 2014): "Fairness in Practice: A Social Contract for a Global Economy" by Aaron James

Jun 13, 2014

Fairness in Practice: A Social Contract for a Global Economy, Aaron James (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 380 pp., $74 cloth.

Review by Simon Cotton

We are all familiar with the claim that the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are unjust or otherwise objectionable. Yet this claim faces substantial hurdles in motivating corrective action. Most significantly, wealthy states face political pressures against moderating their bargaining positions. But this is not the only problem. First, there remains the suspicion that these rules are not, in fact, objectionable, or that they are only mildly so—perhaps "bad" but not "unjust." After all, no country is forced to be subject to them; the WTO is a voluntary institution. Second, we still have to determine what rules would be just. Is it really the job of the WTO to compensate for inherent inequalities between countries? In this book, the first philosophical work devoted exclusively to "fair trade," Aaron James seeks to combat the second of these challenges directly. In doing so, he also combats the first.

To read this article in full, please click here.

You may also like

OCT 11, 2022 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 36.3 (Fall 2022)

The editors of "Ethics & International Affairs" are pleased to present the Fall 2022 issue of the journal! The highlight of this issue is a book symposium ...

AUG 2, 2022 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 36.2 (Summer 2022)

The editors of Ethics & International Affairs are pleased to present the Summer 2022 issue of the journal! The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized ...

President Barack Obama chairs a UN Security Council meeting, September 2009, New York, NY. <br>CREDIT: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barack_Obama_chairs_a_United_Nations_Security_Council_meeting.jpg">White House/Pete Souza/Public Domain</a>

OCT 7, 2020 Podcast

The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward, Episode 1, with David M. Malone

David M. Malone, rector of United Nations University, speaks about the Security Council, the Sustainable Development Goals, peacekeeping, and more. How can the UN continue ...