Erosion of Sovereign Control: Deliberation, ‘We-Reasoning,’ and the Legitimacy of Norms and Standards in a Globalized World

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Abstract

This chapter analyzes the complex ways in which new norms and standards emerge out of multi-stakeholder initiatives when stakeholders have conflicting interests. We present a team game-theoretical framework in which players can switch between two kinds of reasoning: an individual mode in which stakeholders aim for the best possible outcome for themselves and a “we-mode” in which they are genuinely concerned with finding a standard that is optimal for the whole group. We show that a higher inclination towards “we-mode” reasoning is beneficial overall and maximizes individual payoffs and the outcome for the entire group. We argue that cooperation is therefore in the rational self-interest of stakeholders; it is not just desirable from a vague moral perspective. We conclude that in a world where national regulatory frameworks are losing their grip, only norms that have been worked out by a sufficiently large number of “we-reasoning” stakeholders can be called legitimate.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUnderstanding Ethics and Responsibilities in a Globalizing World
EditorsMaria Cecilia Coutinho de Arruda, Boleslaw Rok
PublisherSpringer, Cham
Pages83-101
ISBN (electronic)978-3-319-23081-8
ISBN (print)978-3-319-23080-1
Publication statusPublished - 2016
Peer-reviewedNo