Pheng Cheah Livres

Eminent contributors examine the current and future landscape of cosmopolitanism and its interplay with nationalism. Nationalism and the nation-state are facing challenges from ethnic strife, religious fundamentalism, global capitalism, and significant population movements across cultures and cyberspace. In response, a revitalized cosmopolitanism has emerged as a compelling political alternative. This collection features a distinguished group of scholars and political theorists who provide a thorough analysis of this project, its inclusive claims, and its complex relationship with nationalism. While traditional cosmopolitanism has been critiqued for its perceived detachment from the obligations of nation-bound lives, the essays reveal that contemporary cosmopolitanism is rooted in specific cultural, historical, and political contexts. The contributors investigate the possibility of a feasible cosmopolitanism that may not only coexist with but potentially reshape nationalism, which warrants reexamination rather than dismissal. This intellectually stimulating and interdisciplinary volume offers a range of critical perspectives, evaluating both the aspirational goals and the current realities of the evolving cosmopolitical movement.

The book explores the concept of world literature and its cosmopolitan role, critiquing existing theories for neglecting the meaning of "world." Cheah synthesizes idealism, Marxist materialism, phenomenology, and deconstruction to propose a normative theory of literature's world-making potential. He emphasizes literature's receptivity and highlights postcolonial works by authors like Michelle Cliff and Amitav Ghosh, illustrating how these narratives create new possibilities for reimagining the world and resisting capitalist globalization through alternative temporalities.