Embedded Cosmopolitanism

Book excerpt: Many would argue that 'cosmopolitanism' provides the most convincing account of why we have duties to 'strangers' and 'enemies' in world politics: everyone--regardless of political borders, community boundaries, or enemy lines--is entitled to equal moral consideration. However, this 'impartialist' perspective is often seen to be deeply problematic: cosmopolitanism neglects the profound importance of local ties and loyalties, community and culture, and therefore is incapable of adequately describing our moral experience and wholly unworthy of our aspirations. To answer these criticisms, Dr Erskine seeks to construct an alternative 'embedded cosmopolitan' position. Bringing together insights from communitarian and feminist political thought, she explains that embedded cosmopolitanism recognizes community membership as being morally constitutive. The communities that define us are not necessarily territorially bounded, and a moral perspective situated in the community need not be parochial. Dr Erskine tests this theoretical position against the challenging circumstances of war. Taking examples from the 'war on terror', she examines duties to 'enemies' through norms of non-combatant immunity and the prohibition against torture.