A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology

Chapter 72

Development Ethics

THOMAS KESSELRING

Development aid policy (DAP) takes place at the point of intersection of a number of ethical issues:

(1) What does “development” mean and in which direction does it point?

(2) What purpose does development cooperation (DC) have, what role do rights and obligations play, and what motives is it based on?

(3) Who has to support whom with development aid?

(4) Which goals should development aid policy aim at?

This article leaves aside issues about individual development and about pedagogy (i.e. concerted support of individual development) and concentrates on DAP.

At (1). Involvements in development cooperation presuppose a gradient between the cooperating groups. Members of a society considered higher developed (donor) support one or more groups of a society considered less developed (recipient). The aim of the support is to minimize the development deficit. In practice the question then arises who defines direction and aim of the development process. From an ethical as well as a practical standpoint, it stands to reason that the groups involved take joint action. DC in the strict sense presupposes a symmetrical relation and a joint decision-making process. Otherwise the relation is asymmetrical (i.e. “development aid”), and the recipients remain heteronomous. For instance, development aid based on conditions is asymmetrical.

Development is frequently equated with economic growth and judged by the gross national product (The World ...