I believe there is a moral sense and a global ethic that commands attention from people of every religion and every faith, and people of no faith. But I think what’s new is that we now have the capacity to communicate instantaneously across frontiers right across the world.

Brown links an older idea—an underlying moral sense shared across religions and by nonbelievers—to a distinctly modern condition: instantaneous global communication. The quote suggests that ethical responsibility is no longer confined by national borders because information, images, and appeals can circulate worldwide in real time. In that environment, moral claims can mobilize publics quickly and create pressure for collective action on issues such as poverty, conflict, climate, or human rights. Brown’s emphasis on a “global ethic” reflects a cosmopolitan political outlook: shared norms exist, but what is newly transformative is the technological infrastructure that makes global solidarity, scrutiny, and coordination practically possible.