Globalization and Cosmopolitanism: Some Challenges

Abstract

This paper discusses certain major challenges to the justification of ethical cosmopolitanism's existence. They can be understood in the context of effects of the global economy on human life and values, due its social imbalances and inequalities. The foremost guiding idea of ethical cosmopolitanism maintains that all humans must be considered to be equal. However, this postulate is questioned in the globalization era.Forced migration is the first challenge to the justification of cosmopolitan-ism nowadays. It spells out the global displacement of people caused by poverty and war danger. Today the economic and political elite in the world ignores its obligation to treat equally victims of forced migration, and is inclined to treat multiculturalism as useless. The growth of forced migration witnessed at present is caused by the existing deepening of inequalities and global injustice.Another challenge is the moral criticism of global capitalism starting from the point of view of the existence of alternative globalism. Many organizations of the global civic society have established international cooperation in their collective actions for the development of a socially-responsible globalization.Third challenge in this context are the abuses of cosmopolitanism in its justification of the so-called “humanitarian interventions” of the international community in shouldering the responsibility for mankind's development and securing human rights. Cosmopolitanism could thus be used as an ideology by the richest elites to justify their worldwide expansionism. The idea that the international community is interested in the preservation of human rights when they are violated by a “dictatorial state” is being forwarded. Yet, there is no doubt that some of these interventions have been motivated by imperialist strategies of “the Great Powers” in action.