Rooted Cosmopolitanism

How do national loyalties both help to build and to erode global solidarity?

Can national loyalties be reconciled with larger commitments to global well-being?

Canadians take pride in being good citizens of the world, yet our failure to meet commitments on the global stage raises questions. Do Canadians need to transcend national loyalties to become full global citizens? Is the very idea of rooted cosmopolitanism simply a myth that encourages complacency about Canada’s place in the world?

In this volume, leading scholars assess both in theory and practice the concept of rooted cosmopolitanism, using Canada as a test case. They show that local identities such as patriotism and Quebec nationalism can, but need not, conflict with cosmopolitan principles. Local ties enable and impede Canada’s global responsibilities in areas such as multiculturalism, climate change, immigration and refugee policy, and humanitarian intervention.

By examining how Canada has negotiated its relations to “the world” both within and beyond its own borders, Rooted Cosmopolitanism evaluates the possibility of reconciling local ties and nationalism with commitments to human rights, global justice, and international law.