During the existence of human civilization, the idea that the interests of mankind are more significant than the interests of an individual state have been expressed more than once. Some other ancient Greek philosophers believed that a person should feel like a "citizen of the world."
History of cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is a complex of ideas and views, which boil down to the fact that it is a delusion to put the interests of a nation or state above those of all mankind. The term itself comes from the ancient Greek word "cosmopolitan", which literally means "citizen of the world." For the first time it was used in his works by the famous philosopher Socrates, although only Diogenes decided to call himself the first "official" cosmopolitan.
Cosmopolitanism originated during the period when Greece was waging the Peloponnesian War, and became, in fact, the opposite of patriotic ideology. Philosophers argued that the global values of humanity are much more important than the interests of individual states. To some extent, the ideas of cosmopolitanism developed during the time of the Roman Empire, when over a vast territory, Roman citizens had equal rights and responsibilities, regardless of their specific place of residence. However, this could not be called cosmopolitanism in full, since the Romans still opposed themselves to the inhabitants of other states.
The ideology of cosmopolitanism was also supported by the medieval Catholic Church, which sought to unite its members under the rule of the Pope. However, the church did not claim to be a nominal secular power, and its followers could consider themselves cosmopolitans only in a spiritual sense.
The Masonic movement made a significant contribution to the development of cosmopolitan ideas. Many well-known European figures were Freemasons and supported the idea of a global state, all citizens of which would have equal rights and obligations without regard to nationality or citizenship. The development of Freemasonry coincided in time with pacifist sentiments in European society, which led to the emergence of the idea of merging the states of Europe, and then the whole world into a single union.
Cosmopolitanism today
The process of globalization, which began in the middle of the 20th century, has become one of the most effective attempts to create a "world state". At the very least, residents of the member states of the European Union may well consider themselves citizens of all of Europe, having the right to visa-free travel and using a single currency. Of course, each state still has its own governing bodies, but over time, the decisions of the general authorities begin to matter more than the policies of individual EU member states.
Cosmopolitan sentiments are often condemned by patriotic people who claim that cosmopolitans forget about their roots, national and historical characteristics, and, in fact, are traitors to the interests of their native state. On the other hand, many people are confident that in the future humanity will be able to forget about political and ethnic differences, having come to the idea of a world government that will pursue universal human interests.
