Cosmopolis

This volume makes a challenging critique of the idea of Cosmopolis - that is, the idea of world or 'global' government. In recent years this idea has been put forward as a way of averting the threat of war and international disorder, and as a way of avoiding the destruction of the planet. Proponents of this idea call for a radical reform of the United Nations which aims to legitimize this institution as an international police force and as a provider of global justice. Zolo criticizes this new cosmopolitan philosophy and rejects the idea of trying to eliminate international conflict through the use of centralized and superior military force. He seeks instead to develop a conception of international relations which takes account of their pluralistic, dynamic and conflictual nature. This conception moves away from the logic of hierarchical centralization, which so dominates the UN Charter, and towards the logic of 'weak interventionism' and 'weak pacifism' which relies on self-organization, co-ordination and negotiation. Timely, provocative and iconoclastic, Cosmopolis is an important contribution to current debates in politics, international relations and social and political theory.

This volume makes a challenging critique of the idea of Cosmopolis that is, the idea of world or 'global' government. In recentyears this idea has been put forward as a way of averting thethreat of war and international disorder, and as a way of avoidingthe destruction of the planet. Proponents of this idea call for aradical reform of the United Nations which aims to legitimize thisinstitution as an international police force and as a provider ofglobal justice.Zolo criticizes this new cosmopolitan philosophy and rejects theidea of trying to eliminate international conflict through the useof centralized and superior military force. He seeks instead todevelop a conception of international relations which takes accountof their pluralistic, dynamic and conflictual nature. Thisconception moves away from the logic of hierarchicalcentralization, which so dominates the UN Charter, and towards thelogic of 'weak interventionism' and 'weak pacifism' which relies onself-organization, co-ordination and negotiation.Timely, provocative and iconoclastic, Cosmopolis is animportant contribution to current debates in politicsinternational relations and social and political theory.

Preface.Acknowledgements.1. The Cosmopolitan Model of the Holy Alliance.2. The Gulf War: The First Cosmopolitan War.3. The Blind Alleys of International Ethics.4. Civitas Maxima and Cosmopolitan Law.5. Towards a 'Weak Pacifism'.Conclusion.Postscript to the English Edition.Select Bibliography.Index.