In this interesting video that I was recently introduced to in one of my other classes, Kwame Anthony Appiah, a Ghanaian-British-American philosopher, explains the meaning of the term “cosmopolitanism” in Astra Taylor's Examined Life.
Kwame (beginning at 2:12 in the video): “Cosmopolitanism comes from the Greek phrase kosmopolitês which means “Citizen of the Cosmos—of the world” and uh, we need a notion of level citizenship.” (The camera pans to the flight board displaying many names of various destinations around the world as Kwame walks through the airport.) “The cosmopolitan says you have to begin by recognizing that we are responsible collectively for each other as citizens are. But second, cosmopolitans think it’s okay for people to be different—that they care about everybody but not in a way where they want everybody to be the same or like them.”
We’ve recently discussed in class, what Kenneth Burke calls “God-terms.” According to Burke, “God-terms” are defined as the most privileged terms that are both vague and powerful. Among them, are words like “freedom,” “progress,” and “the fatherland.” After watching this clip, perhaps we could consider Kwame’s concept of “cosmopolitanism” a “God-term.” Because “cosmopolitanism” is about bringing cultures together and learning how to be responsible citizens of the world, it encompasses everything it means to be “God-term." It is a word that has a special meaning within each culture and carries power where ever it is used.
“Cosmopolitanism” could be a “God-term” for those who believe in equality and who are open to people of all languages. I feel it is a prime example of a “God-term” because the word seems incomprehensible and automatically gives the phrase a positive meaning. It represents a “philosophical universalism” that attempts to resolve conflicts of values across many cultures. The term could be used to interpret our surroundings by allowing us to recognize the differences between people and learning to accept that not everybody has to be like us.
Though the term “cosmopolitanism” sounds marvelously noble, it can mean practically anything and seems deliberately unclear. To my readers, I pose this: What does the term “cosmopolitanism” mean to you?
