Pupils:
Patricia (P),
Alexis (A),
Viki (V),
Ray (R),
Madge
Scribe:
Gavin (G)
Apologies:
John (J),
David (D),
Margie (M),
Howard (H),
Colin (C)
The homework set
We decided that, following our last three meetings when we have focused on particular, relatively contemporary philosophers, we should immerse ourselves in a moral dilemma at our next meeting, on Tuesday 12th November. The dilemma is:
Should Britain make/pay reparations to countries, territories and communities affected by Britain's participation in the slave trade?
(Presumably as a consequence of having time on his hands, Tory hopeful Robert Jenrick, has today thrown his hat into our ring by claiming that 'the British Empire had broken the long chain of tyranny in territories as Christian values were introduced'…so they should be paying us then…!)
We also agreed that we would discuss this issue in the context of cosmopolitanism (cosmopolitan liberalism): the broad notion that human beings constitute a single moral community and that moral duties are therefore owed to humanity as such, irrespective of national divisions. It follows that charity doesn't, necessarily, begin at home…
A central tenet of liberalism is that a person's ability to pursue her conception of the good should not be conditioned by morally arbitrary factors such as gender, race or social class. Cosmopolitan liberals argue that nationality and state membership are also morally arbitrary, thus opportunities must be equalised, not just within states but across states. The key principles of cosmopolitanism are individualism, that the units of concern when people are in need are human beings, universality, that all human beings are treated equally, and generality, where persons are units of concern for everyone.
Thomas Pogge, a German philosopher born in 1953, and now a professor at Yale—also, incidentally, editor of political philosophy for the Stamford Encyclopaedia—has written extensively on the subject of what we owe to others in need, irrespective of where they live.
Against Pogge is the 'particularist' perspective that we have special duties towards specific others—e.g. family and friends—which are not derivable from our general duty to humanity, which particularists regard as unrealistic.
Another objection is that we should prioritise the needs of those with whom we share national institutions such as social contracts, the obligations of which transcend international considerations.
To what extent do Pogge's arguments justify direct, maybe military, intervention in another country, if it is believed that such action can alleviate suffering, and create real freedom by adding (Nussbaum style) to the capabilities of the people living there? *What criteria should govern what action can be taken?
Perhaps at our meeting we could start off by having a debate on whether or not slavery reparations of some sort should be made i.e. with someone putting the case for reparations followed by someone proposing the opposite. Any volunteers?
After more contributions for and against we could then move on to the broader issues as enunciated by Pogge.
Here are some questions you might care to ponder…in no particular order:
Should we regard the giving of aid to people living in extreme poverty an act of charity or the addressing of injustice? Or a moral obligation incumbent on on all richer nations?
In seeking to address issues connected with suffering through extreme poverty, is it helpful to start from a position of considering the human rights of individuals? Who promotes and protects such rights, whatever they are? (Just rhetoric for politicians, the 'nonsense on stilts' of Jeremy Bentham? )
Should historic slavery be viewed alongside modern slavery, colonialism in general, even genocide…?
Do people in Britain today retain any responsibility for the slavery-related sins of long-dead ancestors? What might contribute to such responsibility?
If reparations for the effects of slavery are deemed reasonable what form might these take? If financial, how would they be calculated? Or more creative…assistance to help combat climate change, educational study grants, interest-free loans, changes in World Trade Organisation rules?
Does charity begin, and end, at home…where we have primary obligations to family, people we know' where we are party to social contracts, where we owe allegiance to those we have elected as our representatives? Or is our family the worldwide human family?
For Reparations (Alexis)
The definition of reparation: making amends for a wrong.
Slavery went on for 400 years.
It stopped many countries from developing their own industries.
Reparations could include: a full formal apology, cancellation of debt, compensation, return of artefacts, funds to enable repatriation.
There is also an educational deficit to be made up.
Slavery left several Caribbean islands with a single-crop economy. All that Barbados grew was sugar cane, for which there is now less demand.
Britain used the slave trade to fund the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution in turn contributed to climate change, which now adversely affects many countries from which slaves were taken.
40% of the Treasury’s income at the time came from the slave trade.
So don’t we have an obligation?
We have to initiate conversations with the citizens of those countries to understand what they want. Refusing to talk doesn’t help our country's reputation.
Against Reparations (Ray)
Slavery is as old as history itself.
Is it right to blame the current population for the sins of its fathers?
Other countries beside Britain are also to blame, notably Portugal and Holland.
White people weren't the only offender. African chieftains aided slavery for huge personal gain—for example, the chief of Benin. Should their descendants be paying compensation?
Should all UK taxpayers pay up?
After Britain ended slavery, we continued with indentured labour. Should we make amends for that?
What scale of financial reparations should be considered? Some estimate 18 trillion pounds.
Some former colonies—such as Singapore—have done very well for themselves without begging.
The Southern states of the USA have suffered economically because of their reliance on cotton nad slavery.
When Britain called a halt to slavery, there were 40,000 slaveowners. Just 3,000 of them were paid a total of £20m to compensate them for the emancipation of their slaves.
This is largely a psychological problem, says one Jamaican. Forget the past, he says. Focus instead on self-redemption and self-reliance. This would be a grown-up model for Africa. Focus on restoring dignity. Remove the sense of grievance. Look at partnerships and investments which could be achieved with the West. The pragmatic approach is the way forward.
Pragmatism is a philosophy which originated in the US. It says that the merit of any idea lies in its usefulness and practicality.
Why don’t the King and Prime Minister say sorry? We live in a litigious society in which apologising means admitting fault and liability.
Discussion
Clearing Caribbean islands of their indigenous peoples was a genocide.(A)
There's a big education problem. Witness the hostile reaction to what the National Trust is doing to admit the complicity in slavery of the owners of its properties.(L)
The British government was committed to ending the slave trade, and put money into this endeavour.(V)
Should we be paying reparations to the Scots and Irish for seizing their lands? It's a huge can of worms.(V)
We should not be further encouraging people to see themselves as victims—for example, in unfair dismissal claims on grounds of race.(V)
Sacred objects should be handed back.(L)
There are estimated to be 20 million slaves on the planet today.
In the UK, for example, in prostitution and working at car washes.
Some very wealthy people (from other countries) keep slaves in the basements of their London addresses.(L)
We must consider the negative effect on present-day economies of past support for slavery. We should support investment in sustainable technologies.(S)
The word reparation is unhelpful. Why should we give them handouts?(V)
Unless we start a dialogue, no progress can be made on this issue.(L)
Some have tried to estimate the increase in value of cities such as Bristol or Liverpool as a result of slavery.(R)
The International Slavery Museum in Liverpool is strongly recommended.(A)
Pirates from the Barbary coast stole slaves from Cornwall. Ditto the Romans and Vikings. How far back do you go in the search of victimhood?(MADGE)
Should the descendants of those pressganged into the Navy be seeking compensation?
There's a feeling that widening this issue makes it too hard to handle. So we ignore it.(S)
Do the former slave nations seek restorative or retributive justice?(S)
What we cannot answer are the hypothetical questions about what would have happened if slavery hadn't happened. We can say that native Americans had a successful civilisation before the West committed genocide against them.
How do you get involved in a victim country if you want to direct how you money is used? In Zambia, aerial photos show large green areas of the country which are cultivated by Chinese and whose produce is all exported back to China.(L)
Rwanda is now a very peaceful place to live, as a consequence of reconciliation activity between Hutus and Tutsis.(S)
Does charity begin at home? With £25 to give away at Christmas, do we give it to local or distant causes?(S)
It's hard to neglect what we see near us, such as people living on the streets.(L)
There's a widespread concern that if you give money to Africa, much of it will end up in the pockets of politicians.(MADGE)
UN agencies have to operate through governments.(A)
Should we be giving money to as wealthy a country as India?(L)
There's a risk that a substantial part of the Ukraine breadbasket, on which Africa depends for grain, will be taken away by Russia.(S)
Next time
John Rawls and his Theory of Justice (1971).
Other topics touched on
Can Trump's transactional approach bring peace without surrender to Ukraine?
Unlike Nixon, Trump doesn't seem to know the difference between the truth and his lies.
It's the year of the incumbent being voted out of office.
The tendency of many immigrants to be against further immigration.
The desire of working class whites in the US to suppress the blacks in order to preserve a layer of society to which they can feel superior.
Whether governments should level with their citizens rather than gloss over the truth?
The difference in voting patterns between university-educated Americans and others.
The disappearance of local newspapers with their positive stories and widespread subject matter.
