So you get on a bus and it takes you into the city. You get off the bus and look around. A question comes to mind: “Who owns this place?”
What kind of mind would entertain such a question? It must be one that is embedded in a language of ownership and property relations. You can assume it is an Anglo-American mind, shaped by the long legacy of John Locke and Adam Smith that placed the ownership of property, even one’s self as property, as the foundation of freedom.
For many, the notion of a citizen’s economy may first appear as an utopian dream. On further reflection, however, I think it will be seen as a necessity if we are to create a sustainable and just global economy.
Marvin T. Brown, Ph.D teaches business and organizational ethics at the University of San Francisco and Saybrook University in San Francisco.
This book is the culmination of 30 years of teaching and writing on business and society from a communicative perspective. Visit workingethics.com for more information.
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