An Archaeology of Cosmopolitanisms

This chapter is dedicated to an investigation of the term ‘cosmopolitan’ and the ideas associated with it. It begins with the definition of the word ‘cosmopolitan’ and the history of the word (and associated terms) from its use by Cynics in Greece of the fourth century BCE. It outlines the philosophical tradition of cosmopolitan thought and also a radical tradition of revolutionary cosmopolitanism. The chapter looks, in particular, at three periods when the term is used: the early modern period, the eighteenth century, and the late Victorian period, when Conrad began writing.