Einleitung (Introduction to Kosmopolitische Gedankenwelten/Cosmopolitan Imaginings)

Abstract

The introduction engages with recent scholarship on cosmopolitanism, with a focus on postcolonial debates and scholarship engaging with the German-speaking world. It traces the idea of cosmopolitanism from antiquity through the European Enlightenment, including the work of Goethe and Schiller, and then turns to 19th century theories of nationalism. It then considers how 20th and 21st century scholars of this concept have redefined it and examined relationships between identity, citizenship and life in a globalized world. Finally, it spends some time introducing the individual contributions to the volume.