Socrates, a pig and progressive taxation: A Mirrleesian morality tale
By Cathy Wilcock, Doctoral Researcher, Global Development Institute
Socrates and a pig walk into a bar. Socrates orders a fine bottle of claret and argues for hours with the bartender about Romantic poetry. Being infuriated by the bartender’s base reading of Ozymandias, Socrates attempts to stab the bartender in the heart with his pocketknife. He is so drunk on claret that he misses completely. In the meantime, the pig has ordered several pints of mud and poured them over himself. The bartender slips over in the mud, lands on the pig’s pocketknife and is stabbed in the heart. Who is morally better – Socrates or the pig? And please show your working.
‘The men are bosses here…’ What is preventing Uganda from eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS?
Students on the MSc International Development programme travel to Uganda each year to conduct relevant research projects:
In the first of three posts by students, Laura Dempsy reflects upon the difficulties Uganda is facing in its battle to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
By Laura Dempsey
Academic publishing and the (hidden) dynamics of censorship
I just had an article published in Africa Spectrum on Universal Rights versus Exclusionary Politics, using aspirations and despair among Eritrean refugees in Tel Aviv as the case study. This article was originally submitted to a different Journal that focuses on ‘Africa’, and the way it was rejected raises serious concerns about peer review processes and how individual hatred and vanities can impede on those – if the editors allow this to happen.
Ravi Kanbur asks is utilitarianism is all that bad a doctrine for egalitarians?
The first semester of the Global Development Seminar Series was brought to a close with a fascinating lecture from Professor Ravi Kanbur last week.
Professor Kanbur questioned if utilitarianism is really at odds with egalitarian ends, particularly for critical policy issues such as setting progressive rates of income tax. He argues that the “bad odour” surrounding utilitarian approaches has led to a slippery slope of in-egalitarian consequences in policy making. Listen to his full lecture here:
Improving labour conditions in the global electronics industry
In recent years, there have been numerous labour violations in the global electronics industry. They include factory worker suicides, forced labour, child labour, excessive over-time, poisonings, illnesses, and deaths from chemical exposure. Many of these violations occur in supplier factories of big brand companies such as Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell. While brands are considered ultimately responsible for these violations, their efforts to improve the situation are more often than not inadequate and unsustainable (Locke, 2013).
David Hulme: President’s Foreword to the Development Studies Association
The Global Development Institute’s Professor David Hulme is currently president of the Development Studies Association. In his latest message to DSA members, David analyses the new UK aid strategy, recent research council changes and the potential development impact of the COP climate negotiations.
LISTEN | David Hulme on the SDGs as transformation or evolution?
GDI Director Professor David Hulme spoke last week at our Global Development Seminar Series. David discussed the recently announced Sustainable Development Goals, and whether they are merely a continuation of the evolving UN “Global Goals” process or demonstrate that the idea of “development” has been fundamentally transformed.
DON’T MISS | Professor Ravi Kanbur on utilitarianism & egalitarianism
The next lecture in our Global Development Seminar Series takes place on Wednesday December 9, with Cornell University professor Ravi Kanbur. Ravi’s talk is titled Is Utilitarianism All That Bad A Doctrine For Egalitarians?
The lecture will run 4.30pm-6pm in Cordingley Lecture Theatre, Humanities Bridgeford Street (HBS) building.
Brooks Doctoral College launch: the winning 3MTs!
We had a great time celebrating the launch of the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College on November 26. As well as general festivities, eight brave PhD candidates presented a three-minute version of their theses.
Good COP, bad COP: How COP21 will impact on the SDGs
By Professor David Hulme
The 21st COP Summit started yesterday in Paris. After almost 20 years of climate talks, it is hoped that the international community will finally agree concerted action to tackle climate change. Though a tiny minority still debate the science, it is generally agreed that the world needs to reduce emissions so that warming of the climate due to human activity does not climb higher than 2 degrees celsius – remembering that a number of already-vulnerable countries are threatened by temperature rises of 1.5 degrees celsius.