A Thinking Reed

A contaminated world

Written by

Lee M.

in

Princeton philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah has an essay in the NY Times Magazine making “The Case for Contamination,” that is, a cosmopolitan ethic as an alternative to attempts at “cultural preservation” that try to restrict outside influences in order to maintain cultural “purity.” There’s also a novel analysis of fundamentalism as a kind of false universalism. I’ve only had time to skim it, but it looks like a worthwhile read. I may try to post about after I’ve had a chance to sit down and read it for real.

A related question, not directly addressed by Appiah in this essay, might be: what would a Christian cosmopolitanism look like? If the church is a body that transcends national and cultural boundaries, how does that play out? Can Christians still affirm their own cultural particularity while being a part of that body? And how do they keep the church open to outside influences and truths coming from other perspectives without compromising its core message?

(via Mode for Caleb)

Comments

One response to “A contaminated world”

  1. Russell Arben Fox

    I’ve written up something on Appiah’s piece here–as usual, it’s much too long, but you may find it interesting nonetheless. As for Christian cosmopolitanism…well, that would make for an interesting follow-up post! Most of those who have discussed cosmopolitanism reach back to pre-Christian sources, but I think there are important ways a global ethic can be understood in light of Christian revelation (it wouldn’t, I think, be a “cosmopolitan” ethic, though, at least not in the way the word is usually used in liberal philosophy).

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