Dr Nigel Dower

Honorary Senior Lecturer

Personal Details

Telephone:	+44 (0)1224 272369
E-mail:	n.dower@abdn.ac.uk

Biography

Nigel Dower is Honorary Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Aberdeen and Academic Consultant (t/a ‘Cosmopolitan Agendas’). He joined the University of Aberdeen in 1967 where he has taught until 2004, except for three years teaching Philosophy in Zimbabwe (1983-86) and five months as Gillespie Visiting Professor, College of Wooster, Ohio in 2000. He was Head of Department from 1996-1999 and 2000-2001. In June 2004 he took early retirement in order to pursue his interests in ‘exploring ethics in a globalise world’ through teaching, lectures, writing and consultancy. He was visiting Professor in the University of Akureyri, Iceland in Sept-October 2004, and will be Visiting Professor in Colorado State University, Fort Collins in January-May 2006.

His main research interests are in the field of the ethics/philosophy of development, environment and international relations. He taught for many years two special subjects relating to his research, one on the ethics of international relations, covering normative theories, war and peace, theories of justice/human rights and global citizenship, and the other on the ethics of development, environment and technology. He has also\ taught various other courses on the ethics of sustainable development. (See list of publications below.)

In 1997 he wrote World Ethics - the New Agenda for the Edinburgh University Press (1998) and is Editor of its Edinburgh Studies in World Ethics. His interest in development ethics is reflected in membership of the International Development Ethics Association (IDEA), of which he is President, and the Development Ethics Study Group of the Development Studies Association (DSA), of which he is convener. He is also a member of the Educational Advisory Board for the Earth Charter and the IUCN Ethics Specialist Group. In 1997-1999, as one of the Associate Directors of the Centre for Philosophy, Technology & Society (which operated from 1990 to 2002), he led a research project on the idea of global citizenship and how educational courses at Undergraduate level might be developed. This resulted inter alia in Global Citizenship - A Critical Reader, edited by Nigel Dower and John Williams (EUP 2002) and his latest book An Introduction to Global Citizenship (EUP 2003).

Approach

Much of his research work has stemmed from his involvement in the 1970s in several organisations campaigning for a more just and peaceful world, through membership of the World Development Movement and the United Nations Association (he is still Chairman of the Aberdeen Branch of UNA). After his book ( World Poverty Challenge and Response 1983), in which he argued the moral case for more higher quality aid in the context of commitment to improved international economic relations, peace and environmental protection, he has authored many chapters and articles arguing the case for cosmopolitanism, an explicitly ethical framework for assessing development itself and the relations between states. A commitment to sustainable development must involve a significant rethinking of the assumptions behind the ways of life in the North. Whilst a global ethic must stress the case for global responsibility or solidarity, the case for respecting cultural diversity needs also to be made (an overall approach he calls 'solidarist pluralism'). Another theme of his thinking is the need to distinguish between a global ethic as a theory, worldview or 'source story' from a global ethic as a set of agreed principles which become embodied in a social reality of institutions and practices. Differences of theory may lead to endorsement of common principles. In this light the dispute between anthropocentrists and biocentrists may be important intellectually but may lead, equally importantly, to common action. The above issues are not to be seen as belonging to 'applied ethics' (if that implies the mere application of theories fashioned elsewhere) but as contributing centrally to normative and theoretical issues about the nature of ethics. More recently his work has focussed more on the challenge of globalisation, especially its implications for our understanding of global civil society and the strengthening of global citizenship, on the relevance of the Earth Charter and on the widening but contested understanding of security.

Biodata

Born 1/1/42 in Yorkshire, UK. Educated at Bradford Grammar School (1953-1960), University College, Oxford (1960-1964), and University of Leeds (1965-67). Joined staff at University of Aberdeen in 1967 (and did his PhD part-time at Aberdeen). Married in 1972, and has three children. Spent three years (1983-1986) as Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy, University of Zimbabwe and one semester at the College of Wooster, Ohio (Jan-May 2000). Became a Quaker in 1980, and has been involved in various Quaker Committees, such as QPS (Quaker Peace and Service) and Quaker Stewardship Committee. Interests include music, walking, gardening and computing.

Selected Publications

Books

Book Edited (with introduction)

Global Citizenship - A Critical Reader, edited by Nigel Dower and John Williams, Edinburgh University Press, 2002.

Book Series Editorship

The Edinburgh Studies in World Ethics, Edinburgh University Press (contract September 1995: four other books commissioned, two appearing in 1999 and 2000)

Refereed papers and chapters in books

Published:

'An Ambiguity in the Concept of Choice', American Philosophical Quarterly 1971, pp. 192-196

'Ethics and the Environment: some Philosophical Reflections on "The Just and Sustainable Society"' Which Future for Scotland? ed. Pritchard, C., Church of Scotland Home Board, 1979, pp. 28-63

'Ethics and Environmental Futures' International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 21, 1983, pp. 29-44

'What is development? - A philosopher's answer' Development Studies Occasional Paper Series, No 3, University of Glasgow, 1988, pp. 1-33

'Development as a Process - a Philosophical Investigation', published in Spanish as 'El Desarrollo como proceso: Una Investigacion filosofica', Revista de Filosofia de la Universidad de Costa Rica, vol. xxvii, No 66, 1989, pp. 281-292

'Philosophy, the environment and sustainable development', Revista de la Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, edicion especial, February 1990, pp. 46-56

'Causality, feasibility and desirability: a philosophical examination of the causes of world poverty', conference paper, Colloquium Proceedings, University of Aberdeen African Studies Group, 1991, pp. 259-269

'World Poverty', chapter in Companion to Ethics, ed. Singer, P., O.U.P., 1991, pp. 273-283

'Ethical Principles of Development: Interlocutor's summing up', Conference Proceedings IDEA Montclair Workshop, ed. Aman, K., Institute for Critical Thinking, Montclair State University 1991, pp. 228-236

'Sustainability and the Right to Development', chapter in International Justice and the Third World, ed. Attfield, R. and Wilkins, B., Routledge, 1992, pp. 93-116

'Are Government Aid and Private Charity Morally on a Par?' Conflict and Change in the 1990s, ed. Carty, A. and Singer, H., Macmillan, 1993, pp. 63-79

'The Idea of the Environment', Philosophy and the Natural Environment, ed. Attfield, R. and Belsey, A., Cambridge UP, 1994, pp. 143-156

'Peace and Security: some Conceptual Notes', Essays on Peace: Paradigms for Global Order, ed. Salla, M. et al., University of Central Queensland Press, 1995, pp. 18-23

'The Idea of International Development: some Ethical Issues', Ethics and International Affairs, ed. Wright, M., Avebury, 1996, (based on presentation for ECPR workshop on international ethics, April, 1994), pp. 181-202

'Is the Idea of Development Eurocentric?', Challenging the Orthodoxies, DSA Series on Development, ed. Auty, R. & Toye, J., Macmillan, 1996, pp. 85-102.

'Global Hunger: Moral Dilemmas', in Food Ethics, ed. Mephan, B., Routledge, 1996, pp. 1-17.

'Europe and the Globalisation of Ethics', Frontiers of European Culture, ed. Dukes, P., Mellon, 1996, pp. 63-85

'Sustainable Development: Ethical Issues', The Journal of Contemporary Health, Issue 6, Autumn 1997 pp. 57-60., c. 5000 words

'Development Issues - Environmental', encyclopaedia article, Encyclopaedia of Applied Ethics, ed. Chadwick, R., November, 1997, c. 8000 words

'Development Ethics: An Overview', encyclopaedia article, Encyclopaedia of Applied Ethics, ed. Chadwick, R., November, 1997, c. 8000 words

'World Ethics', encyclopaedia article, Encyclopaedia of Applied Ethics, ed. Chadwick, R., November 1997, c. 5000 words

'Human Rights and International Relations', International Journal of Human Rights, ed. Barnaby, F., Spring 1997, c. 8000 words

'A World without Hunger - an Ethical Imperative?', A World without Famine?, DSA Series on Development, ed. Neill, H. & Toye, J., Macmillan, February, 1998, c. 7000 words

'Human Rights and Globalisation', Europe and Globalisation, ed. Axtmann, R., 1998, Cassell, c. 9000 words

‘Development, violence and peace: a conceptual exploration’, The European Journal of Development Research, c. 9000 words, Vol. 11 No. 2, Autumn 1999

'Human Development: Friend or Foe to Environmental Ethics?', Environmental Values, c.7000 wds, Vol. 9, Feb 2000

'Global Ethics', encyclopaedia article, Encyclopaedia of Christian Thought, ed. Hastings, A., Oxford University Press (c. 2000 words), November 2000

'The Idea of Global Citizenship: a Sympathetic Assessment', Global Society (c. 8000 words), October, 2000

'Aims, Outcomes and Global Values in Higher Education – a mix whose time has come?', Development Education Journal, Vol. 7.2 March 2001, pp. 37-39

'Against War as a Response to Terrorism', Philosophy and Geography, February 2002 (3000 words)

'Humanitarian Violence - an Oxymoron?' revised conference paper accepted for publication in Human Rights and Military Intervention, Ashgate (7000 words), 2002

'World Hunger', Handbook of Practical Ethics, ed. La Follette, H., Oxford University Press, 12,000 words, 2003

'The Global Framework for Development: Instrumentality or Contested Ethical Space?’, New Slavery, ed. C. van den Anker, Palgrave, December 2003

'The Ethics of Sustainability', UNESCO/EOLSS Encyclopaedia of Life Sciences, Volume on Sustainable Development in Europe, ed. Mather, A., c. 10,000 wds, 2003 (on Internet)

'Global Ethics' UNESCO/EOLSS Encyclopaedia of Life Sciences, Volume on Human Rights, Ethics and Justice, ed. Gare, E., c. 10,000 wds, 2003 (on Internet)

‘The Ethics of Globalisation or the Globalisation of Ethics? The Relevance of the Question for Global Governance’ in Perspectives on global governance - theoretical orientations – ethics – global orders, Academy of Finland, autumn, 2003

‘Global Ethics, the Earth Charter and Environmental Law’, South African Journal of Law, 2004

‘Global Economy, Justice and Sustainability’, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 2004

‘Does Global Citizenship Require Modern Technology?’, Ideas y Valores, c. December 2003

‘The Nature and Scope of Global Ethics and the Relevance of the Earth Charter’, Journal of Global Ethics, July 2005

‘Global Citizenship, Globalisation and Citizenship – an Unholy Trio?, in J. Eade & D. O’Byrne (eds), Global ethics and Civil Society, Ashgate, 2005-08-19

‘Situating Global Citizenship’, in R.D. Germain & M. Kenny (eds), The Idea of Global Civil Society, Routledge, 2005

Forthcoming:

'Global Citizenship', article for Encyclopedia on Globalization, ed. Jan-Aart Scholte and Roland Robertson

'Development and Globalization: the Ethical Challenges', keynote address (April 2005) to by published by the Michigan State University

Other papers:

Published:

'New Directions for self-sufficiency? Some Comments on Professor Silver's Paper', Turning Point, Church of Scotland Home Board, 1975, pp. 33-36

'The World Conservation Strategy - International Issues', World Conservation Strategy Grampian Region, (Report of the Braemar Workshop 1982), Grampian Regional Council & Nature Conservancy Council, 1984, pp. 155-160

'Is there a Quaker view of Development?', Quaker Approaches to Development, QPS, Friends House, London, 1987, pp. 7-15

'Introduction' in Ethics and Environmental Responsibility, ed. Dower, N., Gower Publishing, 1989, pp. 1-10

'What is environmental ethics?' in Ethics and Environmental Responsibility, ed. Dower, N., Gower Publishing, 1989, pp. 11-37

'Sharing Violence and Violent Sharing', The Friend, Vol. 152 no 2, January 1994, pp. 37-38.

'Development, Violence and Sharing', QUNEC newsletter working paper, Friends House, London, c. 3000 words, 1995

'Towards a Social Testimony - Global or Local?', The Friends Quarterly, Vol. 30 No 2, April, 1996, pp. 98-104

'Biotechnology and the Third World', Ends & Means, No. 1, Autumn, 1996, pp. 26-31.

‘Global Ethics, Global Citizenship and Government Policy on Combating Poverty’, in ed. King, K. & Caddell, M., Partnership and Poverty in Britain and Sweden’s New Aid Policies, Centre of African Studies, Edinburgh University, May, 1998.

‘Global Ethics: Theory and Social Reality for the 21 st Century', proceedings of conference (October 1997), published electronically, August, 1998, University of Melbourne

‘Una etica mundial para un autentico desarrollo’ (‘World ethics and authentic development’), in ed. Cristian Parker G, Etica, democracia y desarrollo humano, Cerc-Uahc, Chile, 1998

Report Summary for, and preparation / organisation of Report on Global Citizenship Project, September 1999, plus contributed sections on 'World Citizenship –Yes or No?', 'Global Ethics and Global Citizenship';. 'Global Citizenship and Peace' and 'Global Citizenship and Human Rights' for the Report (Report disseminated to Universities and other public bodies).

‘Does global Citizenship require modern technology?’ Ends & Means, July 2001 (to be published in Ideas y Valores (Colombian))

‘Do Quakers have a theology?’, Theology in Scotland, Vol. VIII No 2, 2001, pp.23-36, (c. 5000 wds)

'Intending Universal Community', John Macmurray: Critical Perspectives, Lang Press, ed. Fergusson, D. & Dower, N., 2001 (2000 wds)

'World Citizenship –Yes or No?', Reader on Global Citizenship, 2002 (5000 words)

'Global Ethics and Global Citizenship'; Reader on Global Citizenship, 2002 (5000 words)

Philosophy, School of Philosophy, Divinity and Religious Studies
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