Aristotle, Cicero and cosmopolitan political thought

Burns, Tony

Abstract

This is a conference paper which compares and contrasts the views of Aristotle and Cicero in relation to cosmopolitan political thought. The paper focuses on the issue of the social and political 'identity' of the individual moral agent. It also distinguiishes between 'strong' and 'weak' versions of both 'cosmopolitanism' and 'communitarianism.' It argues that the views of Aristotle and Cicero are closer than is usually thought. Aristotle is more of a 'cosmopolitan' and less of a 'communitarian' thinker than is commonly supposed, whereas, on the other hand, Cicero is more of a 'communitarian' and less of a 'cosmopolitan' thinker.

Citation

Burns, T. Aristotle, Cicero and cosmopolitan political thought. Presented at Cosmopolitanism: Past and Present

• Conference Name: Cosmopolitanism: Past and Present
• End Date: Jun 9, 2007
• Deposit Date: Apr 19, 2010
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1017218