Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues

Cosmopolitanism has received increasing attention in recent years as the global nature of the modern world and the multicultural dimensions of contemporary societies become ever more salient. Nevertheless, accounts of the conception and practice of cosmopolitanism remain controversial, primarily because they tend to employ only the characteristic approaches and address only the particular concerns of contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. The U.S.-China Research Group on Cosmopolitanism brings together nine scholars from the United States and the Chinese cultural sphere with the aim of pursuing a structured dialogue around theoretical and practical problems related to cosmopolitanism. In order to initiate the group's inquiry into the nature and future of cosmopolitanism, each participant has composed a short reflection describing her or his initial thoughts on the topic. These are presented as points of departure for an ongoing conversation that will be carried by your criticisms, comments, and suggestions, which we invite and appreciate.