Cosmopolitanism and Identity

Instructor: Professor Daniel R. DeNicola, Department of Philosophy

What does it mean to be “a citizen of the world”? What happens when we “think globally”? Does cosmopolitanism encourage us to focus on our common humanity and universal rights, or to respect our differences and celebrate the richness of our diversity? Or is there a way to blend or balance these? What happens to our identity in a “globalized” era? What happens to our loyalties to our own country, to our own culture, and to the interests of our family and familiars? What reforms would cosmopolitanism suggest—stemming cultural imperialism, returning indigenous art, preserving endangered cultures—or giving isolated and impoverished people modern medicines and access to the Web? These are among the questions—both timely and ancient—that we will address in this Seminar, as we explore the history, meaning, implications, and viability of the ideal of cosmopolitanism. Our intellectual framework will be philosophical, but we will draw upon various humanities and social science disciplines to contribute to our discussions and analyses.