Macrocosm-opolitanism? Gilroy, Appiah, and Bhabha: The Unsettling Generality of Cosmopolitan Ideas

Abstract

"Cosmopolitanism" is a term that has been used with increasing frequency over the past ten to twenty years. This increase, however, has been accompanied by a corresponding rise in the number of discussions on the subject that manage to avoid reaching any consensus as to what the word actually means.

After detailing a brief recent history of the term, I analyse three works of criticism by three cultural theorists who have addressed the subject -- Paul Gilroy, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Homi Bhabha -- and move towards a greater understanding of this difficult terrain.

The neologism of my title is primarily a response to the overwhelming number of uses to which the word "cosmopolitanism" is put; also, however, it foregrounds the climate of linguistic revision in which I conclude my discussion, with a suggested reassessment of the meanings behind this concept.