Resident Foreigners: A Philosophy of Migration

by Donatella Di Cesare

From the shores of Europe to the Mexican-US border, mass migration is one of the most pressing issues we face today. Yet at the same time, calls to defend national sovereignty are becoming ever more vitriolic, with those fleeing war, persecution, and famine vilified as a threat to our security as well as our social and economic order.

In this book, written amidst the dark resurgence of appeals to defend 'blood and soil', Donatella Di Cesare challenges the idea of the exclusionary state, arguing that migration is a fundamental human right. She develops an original philosophy of migration that places the migrants themselves, rather than states and their borders, at the centre. Through an analysis of three historic cities, Athens, Rome and Jerusalem, Di Cesare shows how we should conceive of migrants not as an other but rather as resident foreigners. This means recognising that citizenship cannot be based on any supposed connection to the land or an exclusive claim to ownership that would deny the rights of those who arrive as migrants. Instead, citizenship must be disconnected from the possession of territory altogether and founded on the principle of cohabitation - and on the ultimate reality that we are all temporary guests and tenants of the earth.

Di Cesare's argument for a new ethics of hospitality will be of great interest to all those concerned with the challenges posed by migration and with the increasingly hostile attitudes towards migrants, as well as students and scholars of philosophy and political theory.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Donatella Di Cesare (Rome, April 29, 1956) is an Italian philosopher, essayist and columnist who teaches Theoretical Philosophy at the "La Sapienza" University of Rome. She is one of the most present philosophers in the Italian and international public debate, both academic and media, collaborates with several newspapers and magazines including "L’Espresso" and "il Manifesto". Her books and essays are translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Croatian, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Turkish, Chinese.

Reviews

[Cristina Rold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro politico, e in questo senso filosofico, che parte dal presupposto che le migrazioni non siano "questioni" da risolvere ma un'epica che accade e con cui siamo chiamati a confrontarci. E in quanto epica pone dei miti ma soprattutto richiede una ridefinizione semantica del nostro linguaggio e delle categorie politiche a cui siamo abituati.
La svolta, scrive l'autrice, non è scegliere fra ius soli e ius sanguinis, ma sforzarci di far diventare la fenomenologia anzitutto una topologia, partendo dal ridefinire che cosa deve poter essere "abitare".
Io ci ho letto un forte elemento rivoluzionario, nel solco di uno spirito anarchico che accoglie di buon grado lo smascheramento dello stato-nazione.

Per conto mio si tratta di un punto di partenza che già da solo vale la lettura del libro.

[Jet R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally have a new fresh look on Heidegger thanks to this book!!!

If you like continental philosophy and migration: READ THIS RIGHT NOW

Beautifully written too, Di Cesare has a gift for writing.

[Donnie Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently had the privilege of reading "Philosophy of Migration" by Donatella di Cesare, and it's truly an enlightening masterpiece. As someone with limited background in philosophy, this book managed to captivate and educate me in ways I never expected. It opened my eyes wider than ever before, challenging me to delve into complex philosophical themes. While there were moments when I struggled to fully grasp the intricacies of these topics, the overall experience was nothing short of beautiful. Simultaneously, it was profoundly unsettling. This book compelled me to reflect on my own privilege, even as a descendant of immigrants. "Philosophy of Migration" is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of migration and its profound philosophical implications. Donatella di Cesare's work is a thought-provoking journey that will resonate with both newcomers to philosophy and seasoned scholars.

[Gianluca Epirotti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fortemente deluso.
È chiara l'avversione dell'autrice per la filosofia analitica ma da ciò a escludere completamente elementi fattuali o logici ci dovrebbe essere differenza. Il libro finisce per essere una ripetizione continua degli stessi concetti base che se spiegati con parole pane potrebbero essere riassunti in poche righe e che invece vengono dilatati, inutilmente a dismisura.

[mohave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Io proprio non vedo tutti questi stati che chiudono le frontiere e non vogliono gli immigrati, forse se l'autrice avesse spiegato la sua tesi invece di perdersi nei soliti fumosi discorsi dei filosofi...

[Heydar Quliyev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book touches upon important aspects such as why migration is not discussed enough. It suggests that professionals without a migration background dominate the discourse in political and social philosophy, resulting in migration policies that fail to address the needs of those directly affected.

[Antonia]

It's disappointing that such an enlightening work blatantly discards the genocide in Palestine and calls it terrorism from across the wall.

[Davide · Rating 1 out of 5]

Un libro profondamente stupido: dopo una prima parte quasi da salvare, si passa a un lunghissimo guizzo etimologico fine a sé stesso, per poi finire con una soluzione da volemmose bbene che non aveva bisogno di tutta la fuffa che la precede