In Bourdieu’s “The Myth of Globalization and the European Welfare State,” Bourdieu creates a strong ethical argument for the tearing down of the globalization myth, which can bring about a welfare state in Europe due to foreign competition. Bourdieu argues for a fight against this outlook in order to account for the “social costs” of economic theory, most certainly a move toward ethics over sheer economic success (p. 39). It is ethically sound to follow Bourdieu’s suggestions, as the long-term effects of economic decisions on a society are often not as fully explored as they should be.
Bourdieu argues that ‘To fight against the myth of globalization, which has the function of justifying a restoration, a return to an unrestrained – but rationalized – and cynical capitalism, one has to return to the facts” (p. 36). This is an extremely ethical stance to take, and one that must be followed – in light of the obfuscation that typically occurs in the media and economic traditions, a change in policy towards complete transparency is needed. This would help to allow businesses and workers to operate under the most accurate, clearly communicated knowledge available.
Bourdieu carries some very intriguing points, and is able to call out those who claim to be intellectual but who are not at the level they believe they are. Essentially, a lot of modern discourse, particularly about the economy and the welfare state, consists of navel gazing and endless philosophical debates about nothing, serving no purpose but to stroke their own egos. Concerted action must be taken in order to fight the wage gap, and this will not be accomplished through useless faux-philosophical discourse, or chattering about who ‘deserves’ wealth.
