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

Theories of cosmopolitanism remain underdeveloped and controversial primarily because they arise almost exclusively from the Anglo-American philosophical tradition and employ its characteristic approaches.

Between 2021 and 2024, Philip J. Ivanhoe of Georgetown University in collaboration with Peng Guoxiang of Zhejiang University convened the U.S.-China Research Group on Cosmopolitanism, bringing together nine scholars from the United States and the Chinese cultural sphere to develop and pursue a structured dialogue around theoretical and practical problems related to cosmopolitanism. The group held meetings virtually and in-person in Hong Kong and Washington D.C., where they presented, discussed, and reflected on the nature and future of cosmopolitanism. The meetings produced an initial bibliography on cosmopolitanism and working papers from the scholars, culminating in a final set of papers that will be published in a forthcoming special issue of the Journal of Confucian Philosophy and Culture. Learn more about the group’s members and their work in the sections below.