Cosmopolis and Dialectic of Community

COSMOPOLIS 

AND

THE DIALECTIC

OF COMMUNITY

Today there is a hue and cry for Human rights, Preservation of Life, Environmental Consciousness: Global Warming, Pollution, Saving of Water, Energy, Food, Electricity, Universal Education, Health Care, Eradication of Poverty, and Freedom of Expression and so on these all leads us toward world community, Global Cultural or World Cultural Community in other words a Cosmopolis.

As I set out to write something on Cosmopolis and the Dialectic of Community I was confronted with these basic questions. What is Cosmopolis? What is “World Community”? How is it constituted? And what is Dialectic of Community?

First and foremost we must define the cosmopolis or make clear its meaning and purpose. The word ‘cosmopolis’ is a combination of two Greek words and they are cosmos which means universe or world and polis which means small city-state. The two words have several meanings depending on its usages and the context where it is used.  According to Kelly the meaning of Cosmos is coherent order and Polis meaning city-state of Greece’s Golden age, which symbolizes reasonableness. Therefore cosmpolis can be referred to as World Cultural Community and World Cultural Country.

The origin or the etymology of this word dates back to the Greek Period and it is said that Diogenes who said “I am a citizen of the world,” supposed to have coined this very word. We do not at once dismiss the notion by reasoning that until the world has been organized into a single overarching political instruction, no one can be a “citizen of the world.” We understand that a person can be cosmopolites because of the nature of his or her loyalty, adherence or fidelity to and or orientation to fellow humans. If a cosmopolitan can exist without all humanity being gathered under one political structure, then cosmopolis must be something other than a political structure.

For Bernard Lonergan Cosmopolis is not “a super-state,” not “an organization,” not “a police force,” not “a court that administers a legal code,” not “an unrealizable political ideals.” The genuine Cosmopolis is a cultural country, a country “above all politics.” Cosmopolis is therefore not a material thing. It is a long standing, non-political cultural fact that transcends the frontiers of states and the epoch of history.

For him the World Community comes to its existence through “an achievement of common meaning.” This involves experience, understanding, judging, and deciding, it is not just experiencing of common data, but the common understanding of such data; which further leads us to common judgment about the truth and reality of what is understood, and especially common commitment to worthwhile action arising from common judgment values. Hence any authentic community: local or national involves more than just shared instruction and communication links; rather, these are mere structural elements that serve in the constitutions of community when they are genuinely guided towards significant values.

Furthermore the notion of world community – cosmopolis – introduces us still another criterion, in that it requires, beyond a commitment to any concrete community, dedication to an order of truth and values that transcends all local and national concerns and indeed all practical concerns.

The greatest or the deepest desire of the human person is to succeed in the drama of existence by finding and holding to the direction that can be discovered in the movement of life. We as human beings are always in search of meaning in our lives and perhaps that leads us to search for direction which probably will lead us to be a better human being in the pursuit of Cosmopolis. 

There are five elements which play a vital role in the building up of Cosmopolis or which further the process of Dialectic of Community and they are as following: 1. Spontaneous Intersubjectivity, 2. Technical institutions, 3. Economic System, 4. Political System, 5. Culture.

Cosmopolis and the Dialectic of Commudnity

Human desire is insatiable. Hence they desire and want to possess everything they see. But on the contrary we also find that they are quite satisfied when their basic needs are fulfilled namely food, clothing and shelter. These basic needs of human being can be brought to its fulfillment when there is prevalence of cooperation and communication with each other. This also calls for self sacrificing attitude from the part of an individual. It calls us to move from spontaneous Intersubjective society to ‘we’ through practical intelligence. Dialectic between Selfishness and altruism implies looking after one’s needs and reaching out to others in need. And this is hardly understood, and resolved in its right sense hence there is occurrence of misunderstanding and that further leads to biases.

The tension between selfishness and altruism, between spontaneous inter-subjectivity and practical intelligence is seldom resolved in its right direction and that leads to biases. Now to prevent such occurrence of biases and to maintain the good of order, which is so indispensable for human living and which will only happen when there is genuine understanding, agreement, consensus, and decision. Thus it requires authentic communication and dialogue between people.

The operation of two contrary principles: spontaneous intersubjectivity and practical intelligence results in social process. These two principles are grounded in human beings sometimes they coincide and there is prevalence of peace but when they do not coincide there is chaos. However, this tension of the community is necessary for the development of the society.

Community is made up of two principles: spontaneous intersubjectivity and practical common sense or practical intelligence. The phrase, “No man can live as an island” aptly describes goal of human beings. Human being is social being too. Human beings spontaneously longs to be together and this spontaneous intersubjectivity is the basis of every community. With the increase and development in the field of technology and economy spontaneous intersubjectivity is no longer capable of holding a community together and thus there is need for ordered society which will only happen by practical intelligence. The necessary tension of the community becomes the basis for decline and development in the society.

Finally when we strive towards Cosmopolis, or World Cultural Country we need to be converted in three ways. and they are as following: 

·         Intellectual Conversion 

·         Moral Conversion

·         Religious Conversion

Comsmopolis comes about when human beings recognize and dedicate themselves to meaning and values that pertains to the fulfillment of human being as such –human beings universally. To rise above personal family, group, class and national interests and give one’s first allegiance to that which dignifies every person, to those discoveries, reasoned arguments, ideas and aspirations that would enrich everyone’s lives, is to create cosmpolis.

The principal purpose of Cosmopolis is to communicate meaningfully and share values. It does not coerce anybody rather it tries to share meaning, bear witness, to communicate. To realize World cultural Community it turns to communication. It must be kept in mind that where there is healthy communication there is genuine prosperity, progress and development; whereas the unhealthy communication leads to superficial skin deep or no relationship and this leads to decline or doom. Hence we all need consciously to work towards making of a World Community or Cosmopolis.

As we strive towards the Cosmopolis we need to be converted from within and my prayer and wish is this that we allow the words of Rabindranath Tagore to sink in our hearts and minds.

In to thy heaven of freedom my father let my country awake

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sands of dead habit.

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Doran M. Robert, Theology and the Dialectics of History, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1990.

Hughes Glen, Transcendence of History, London: University of Missouri Press, 2003.

Lonergan Bernard, Insight: A Study of Human Understanding, 5th ed. In F. E Crowe and R. M. Doran, eds., Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan, vol. 3. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992.

-----------------------. Method in Theology, Great Britain: Darton Longman, 1972.

Pen Robert, Communication for Communion: Communication as Mutual Self Mediation in Context, New Delhi: Intercultural Publication, 2011.

Wood W. Allen, Basic Writings of Kant, United States: The Random House Publishing Group, 2001.