Global ethics is an academic forum for philosophical debate that is not separate from the real world. Rather, it is fundamentally about practice: about how to make the world more just and overcome exploitation and injustice. Global ethics cannot, therefore, be done in a vacuum or an academic ivory tower but must be connected with real-world injustice. Accordingly, global ethicists must think about not just the consistency of their arguments but also the impact of what they say and do to actual people and policy. To this end, and to ensure we think about practice and the implications of our theorizing even in the theoretical section of the book, case studies will be used. There are three case studies – on FGC, the buying of body parts and torture – which will be used to illustrate the theories and arguments that are put forward in Chapters 3, 4 and 5. Introducing case studies in these chapters shows how the theory and practice interconnect and how important theoretical tools are to addressing real-world practices of injustice.

The case studies are intended to be returned to time and time again as you progress through the book and develop your knowledge of global ethics. They can be used in different ways and in conjunction with different chapters. You might find it useful to look at them first – before you have learnt the theories of global ethics – simply to get an initial and untutored reaction.