This article discusses several types of cosmopolitanisms and their commitments and implications. It first discusses the origins of the idea of cosmopolitanism and some contemporary theses typically associated with cosmopolitanism—that it includes both a thesis about identity and one about responsibility. It then distinguishes cosmopolitanism from some concepts closely associated with it, and discusses the connections among the ideas of cosmopolitanism, globalization, and global justice. The next sections distinguish varieties of cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitan justice. One cannot fully...

This article discusses several types of cosmopolitanisms and their commitments and implications. It first discusses the origins of the idea of cosmopolitanism and some contemporary theses typically associated with cosmopolitanism—that it includes both a thesis about identity and one about responsibility. It then distinguishes cosmopolitanism from some concepts closely associated with it, and discusses the connections among the ideas of cosmopolitanism, globalization, and global justice. The next sections distinguish varieties of cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitan justice. One cannot fully understand the arguments of prominent cosmopolitans, especially concerning cosmopolitan justice, without understanding the debate between Rawls and his critics about The Law of Peoples, so this is discussed next. Finally, the article assesses whether cosmopolitanism is compatible with other commitments that fill human lives with meaning.