Contemporary Cosmopolitanism

Description

Contemporary Cosmopolitanism is the first, much-needed, introduction to contemporary political cosmopolitanism. Although it has its roots in classical philosophy and politics, Cosmopolitanism has undergone a major revival in the last forty years, stirring far-reaching and intense international debates. Cosmopolitanism is a way of thought and life which entails an identification of the individual with the whole humankind, and implies a moral obligation to promote social and political justice at the global level. Contemporary cosmopolitanism reflects a global state that is already in itself highly cosmopolitan, and represents an attempt to solve the new problems raised by this situation, to reappraise a number of traditional conceptual categories in the light of changes having already occurred or that are still taking place, to develop new ones, as well as to encourage and guide political-institutional reform projects. Taraborrelli provides clear descriptions of the three main forms of contemporary cosmopolitanism - moral, political-legal and cultural - described through the thought of various figures representative of the more significant approaches: Appiah, Archibugi, Beitz, Benhabib, Bhabha, Held, Kaldor, Nussbaum, Pogge, Sousa Santos. This book provides a sound and comprehensive basis for the study of cosmopolitanism, ideal as a starting point for the discussion of issues of widespread interest such as human rights, global justice, migration, multiculturalism.

Angela Taraborrelli, formerly Adjunct Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Sapienza-University of Rome, is with the Department of Humanities, Social Science and Cultural Heritage of the Italian National Research Council, Italy. Her research spans modern and contemporary political philosophy. She has also written another book on cosmopolitanism, Dal cittadino del mondo al mondo dei cittadini. Saggio su Kant (2004).

This book offers an excellent intervention into cosmopolitan thought. Taraborrelli presents both solid coverage of well-covered traditional approaches as well as more novel explorations into sub-disciplines of contemporary cosmopolitanism that are often overlooked or marginalized, As a result, this book provides newcomers and seasoned cosmopolitans with thoughtful and clearly written engagements into cosmopolitan thinking - ultimately gauging its relevance for the 21st Century. * Garrett Wallace Brown - Reader in Political Theory and Global Ethics, Dept of Politics, University of Sheffield, UK *