Cosmopolitanism (Key Ideas)

The idea of cosmopolitanism has informed some of the most important developments in current sociology. It has changed the way in which we think about a vast array of issues: the forces of globalization, the resurgence of nationalism, the future of political community in Europe, the role of international law in social life, changing forms of violence and even the life of the mind. This book explains what cosmopolitanism is and why it has grabbed the sociological imagination.

Robert Fine explores the concept of cosmopolitanism and its application to a range of contemporary issues, including:

• the future of Europe
• the role of human rights, global governance and perpetual peace in the construction of a cosmopolitan order
• crimes against humanity
• the justification of humanitarian military interventions
• the extension of democracy beyond national limits.

This book offers an innovative mix of theoretical and socio-political elements that will be of great interest to students and researchers in the fields of international political theory, international relations, social theory and cultural studies.

Robert Fine is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, UK. He has been engaged in theoretical research in the areas of natural law and social theory, cosmopolitan social theory and more empirical research in the areas of racism, anti-Semitism and nationalism.