Plural Discourse Communities as Point of Departure

Abstract

The overall point I want to make can be stated simply: cosmopolitan ideals could be implemented in reality if we relate them directly to global human rights discourses, justify them as universal norms, and apply them differently to various communities. However, the pursuit of this goal requires attention to various complex steps: to select a normative philosophical framework that is robust enough to accommodate this proposal; interpret and define concepts such as community, human rights, and cosmopolitanism; review a growing literature on this subject and search for compelling arguments for the universality of cosmopolitan ideals; and define the compatibility between global norms and the recognition of contextual differences. Obviously, stating the goal is simple, but pursuing it is a daunting task. I could have chosen a simpler undertaking. For instance, to appeal to a vast body of empirical references showing how human rights are being incorporated differently into national constitutions, legal frameworks, and social practices or to refer to the fact that human rights are gaining wide political recognition, legal effectiveness, social acceptance, and concrete application. In fact, the claim that national constitutional frameworks can function as the mediating instance for a possible articulation of human rights norms and effective social institutions at the local level can be taken as uncontroversial.