The regulation of harm in international trade: a critique of James's Collective Due Care principle

Abstract

In his important recent book, Aaron James has defended a principle-Collective Due Care-for determining when a form of economic integration is morally objectionable because it causes unjustified harm (including unemployment, wage suppression and diminished working conditions). This essay argues that Collective Due Care would yield implausible judgements about trade practices and would be too indeterminate to play the practical role for which it is intended.