To Uphold The World

In 1991, Bruce Rich traveled to Orissa and gazed upon the rock edicts erected by the Indian emperor Ashoka over 2,200 years ago. Intrigued by the stone inscriptions that declared religious tolerance, conservation, nonviolence, species protection, and human rights, Rich was drawn into Ashoka's world. Ashoka was a powerful conqueror who converted to Buddhism on the heels of a bloody war, yet his empire rested on a political system that prioritized material wealth and amoral realpolitik. This system had been perfected by Kautilya, a statesman who wrote the world's first treatise on economics. In this powerful critique of the current wave of globalization, Rich urgently calls for a new global ethic, distilling the messages of Ashoka and Kautilya while reflecting on thinkers from across the ages—from Aristotle and Adam Smith to George Soros.

At The Beginning Of The Twenty-First Century, We Cannot Escape The Turbocharged Global Economy We Live In. Yet The Very Forces That Link All Of Us Have Accelerated The Dissolution Of Traditional Sources Of Social Authority And Historical Identity, Spurring Increasingly Violent Counter Movements. We Realize Traditional National Politics And The Reorganization Of All Social Values Around Markets Cannot Hold Together The Six And A Half Billion Inhabitants Of This Small Planet The World Needs A New Global Order Based On A Common Global Ethic And Global Justice. To Uphold The World Is Bruce Rich'S Deeply Illuminating And Thought-Provoking Exploration Of Such An Alternative. His Search To Found A Civil And International Order On Principles That Transcend The Goals Of Pure Economic Efficiency And Amoral Realpolitik Is Inspired By The Writings And Lives Of Two Of The Greatest Figures Of Ancient India Ashoka And Kautilya. Ashoka Provides A Unique Example Of A World Ruler His Empire At The Time Was Arguably The World'S Largest, Richest And Most Powerful Multi-Ethnic State Who Tried To Put Into Practice A Secular State Ethic Of Non-Violence And Reverence For Life, Which He Also Extended To International Relations. Kautilya, One Of History'S Greatest Political Geniuses, Wrote The World'S First Treatise On Political Economy, The Arthasastra, Which Proclaims Accumulation Of Material Riches As The Chief Underpinning Of Human Society. Both Addressed The Questions Of Political Realism And Idealism, The Role Of Force And Violence In International Relations, And The Tension Between Economics And Ethics. Through The Retelling Of Mythical And Historical Accounts, Bruce Rich Distils The Message Of Ashoka And Kautilya To Help Us Uphold Our World In The Twenty-First Century. A Unique Blend Of Historical And Political Narrative Combined With Reflections On Contemporary Society, The International Environment And Human Rights, To Uphold The World Is Particularly Timely, Because It Puts Forth A Truly Original Perspective And Thinking On Our Responses To The Political, Economic And Ethical Challenges Of Globalization. 'The Reader Is Drawn Powerfully Into A Long-Gone World In Which An Extraordinary Human Being Dramatically Changed His Own Life And The World Around Him . . . A Highly Readable Book On The Importance And Reach Of Some Arguments In Ancient India, And On Their Relevance For Global Problems Today.' From The Foreword By Amartya Sen. 'To Uphold The World Should Serve As A Source Of Great Inspiration . . . It Is My Hope And Prayer That Readers Today May Be Inspired By This Tale Of A Powerful Ruler To Find Ways To Contribute To Making The World . . . A More Just And Peaceful Place.' From The Afterword By His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Branded wild and shameless by the media, when designer Eva St George is caught with tycoon Dante Vitale, it's guaranteed to make the headlines. With a fledgling reputation to salvage, how can Eva refuse Dante's exit strategy? This ruthless Italian's sole focus is business, and if they can convince the world they're truly in love, they might just both get what they want. But with enough heat between them to rival the Sahara, the fine line between business and pleasure is going up in flames.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This is an edited volume of some of the selected papers presented in the International Conference on Justice and Ethics (ICJECA 2017) which was held in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. ICJECA aimed to bring together researchers, lecturers, and scholars to exchange and share new ideas on all aspects of the interrelation between justice & ethics. Several discussions covered the theoretical and practical challenges and some solutions were suggested.