Global Ethics Corner: 2011 Top Risks and Ethical Decisions

Jan 21, 2011

The annual announcement from the Eurasia Group of top global risks is here. Do you agree with their choice of fundamental issues for 2011?

The annual announcement from the Eurasia Group of 2011's top global risks is here.

All have ethical implications, but many don't require fundamental ethical choices, like no. 2, "a messy euro-zone," or no. 5, "North Korea."

Others have serious underlying ethical components.

Risk no. 1 is the "g-zero." This is shorthand for a multi-polar world. "In the g-zero, the world's major powers set aside aspirations for global leadership...and look primarily inward for their policy priorities. Key institutions that provide global governance become arenas not for collaboration but for confrontation." Ethically the choice would be against international public goods and for national goals.

Risk no. 3 is "cybersecurity and geopolitics." "The principal cybersecurity concern of governments has shifted from al-Qaeda and China to radicalized info-anarchists undertaking a debilitating attack against...critical infrastructure, a key government agency, or a pillar of the private financial system." The security needs are in tension with personal privacy, freedom of speech, internet transparency, and open communications.

Other risks with significant ethical dimensions include: no. 4, "China," which presents fundamentally different choices about the role of governments and of individuals; and no. 10 "emerging markets—not everyone is a winner," which highlights issues of wealth creation and distribution.

What do you think? Look on the internet at http://eurasiagroup.net/pages/top-risks and see if you agree about the fundamental issues in 2011?

By William Vocke

Photo Credits in order of Appearance:

Carnegie Council
Nick Kocharhook
Cherie Cullen/ U.S. Defense Department
Carnegie Council
E Pluribus Anthony
Yann Forget
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
New Media Days / Peter Erichsen
Takver
Yves Doutreligne
Ricardo Stuckert/PR
Eurasia Group

You may also like

NOV 13, 2024 Article

An Ethical Grey Zone: AI Agents in Political Deliberations

As adoption of agentic AI increases, it is critical for researchers and policymakers to agree on ethical principles to inform governance of this emerging technology.

OCT 24, 2024 Article

Artificial Intelligence and Election Integrity in 2024

This final project from the first CEF cohort discusses the effects of AI on election integrity as billions of people go to the polls in 2024.

OCT 22, 2024 Video

Ethical Leadership in International Affairs

In this message for Global Ethics Day 2024, Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal shares his thoughts on ethical leadership and the role that ethics must play ...

No traducido

Este contenido aún no ha sido traducido a su idioma. Puede solicitar una traducción haciendo clic en el botón de abajo.

Solicitar traducción