Cosmopolitics: Thinking and Feeling Beyond the Nation

by Pheng Cheah (Editor), Bruce Robbins (Editor)

Eminent contributors look at the present and future of cosmopolitanism and its relationship to nationalism.

Nationalism and the nation-state have recently come under siege, their political dominance gradually eroding under the strain of such forces as ethnic strife, religious fundamentalism, homogenizing global capitalism, and the unprecedented movements of people and populations across cultures, countries, even cyberspace. A resurgent cosmopolitanism has emerged as a viable and alternative political project. In Cosmopolitics, a renowned group of scholars and political theorists offers the first sustained examination of that project, its inclusive and often universalist claims, and its tangled and sometimes volatile relationship to nationalism.

Understood generally as a fundamental commitment to the interests of humanity, traditional cosmopolitanism has been criticized as a privileged position, an aloof detachment from the obligations and affiliations that constrain nation-bound lives and move people to political action. Yet, as these essays make clear, contemporary cosmopolitanism arises not from a disengagement, but rather from well-defined cultural, historical, and political contexts. The contributors explore a feasible cosmopolitanism now beginning to emerge, and consider the question of whether it can or will displace nationalism, which needs to be rethought rather than dismissed as obsolete.

Intellectually provocative and erudite, this interdisciplinary volume presents a diverse array of critical perspectives, assessing both the ideal enterprise and the current realities of the rapidly developing cosmopolitical movement.

Genres: Criticism

392 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

--March 21, 2012. I'm re-reading this book for its sections on nationalism and cosmopolitanism because it's needed in my research.
--I only read several articles chosen by my professor. This book is top quality as far as thoughts on cosmopolitanism is concerned. Anyone interested in modernism and cosmopolitanism, internationalism etc should take a look at this book.
--March 26, 2012; I finished reading all articles pertinent to issues of nationalism, internationalism, and cosmopolitanism. Those are the ones that can prove conducive to my work on Taixu.