Justice Without Borders : Cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, and Patriotism

Kok-Chor Tan argues that the cosmopolitan idea of global justice may be understood in such a way that it can accept some forms of nationalist and patriotic commitments without having to abandon its ideal of global equal concern. This accessible, persuasive book will appeal to political theorists and moral philosophers.

The cosmopolitan idea of justice is commonly accused of not taking seriously the special ties and commitments of nationality and patriotism. This is because the ideal of impartial egalitarianism, which is central to the cosmopolitan view, seems to be directly opposed to the moral partiality inherent to nationalism and patriotism. In this book, Kok-Chor Tan argues that cosmopolitan justice, properly understood, can accommodate and appreciate nationalist and patriotic commitments, setting limits for these commitments without denying their moral significance. This book offers a defense of cosmopolitan justice against the charge that it denies the values that ordinarily matter to people, and a defence of nationalism and patriotism against the charge that these morally partial ideals are fundamentally inconsistent with the obligations of global justice. Accessible and persuasive, this book will have broad appeal to political theorists and moral philosophers.