Minor Universality: Rethinking Humanity After Western Universalism / Penser l’humanité après l’universalisme occidental: 2 (Beyond Universalism / Partager l’universel, 2) - Hardcover

Markus Messling; Jonas Tinius

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3110798484 ISBN 13: 9783110798487

Publisher: De Gruyter, 2023

Synopsis

The circulation and entanglements of human beings, data, and goods have not necessarily and by themselves generated a universalising consciousness. The "global" and the "universal", in other words, are not the same. The idea of a world-society remains highly contested. Our times are marked by the fragmentation of a double relativistic character: the inevitable critique of Western universalism on the one hand, and resurgent identitarian and neo-nationalistic claims to identity on the other. Sources of an argumentation for a strong universalism brought forward by Western traditions such as Christianity, Marxism, and Liberalism have largely lost their legitimation. All the while, manifold and situated narratives of a common world that re-address the universal are under way of being produced and gain significance. This volume tracks the development and relevance of such cultural and social practices that posit forms of what we call minor universality. It asks: Where and how do contemporary practices open up concrete settings so as to create experiences, reflections and agencies of a shared humanity?

With contributions by Isaac Bazié, Anil Bhatti, Jean-Luc Chappey, Elsie Cohen, Leyla Dakhli, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Nicole Fischer, Albert Gouaffo, Stefan Helgesson, Fatma Hotait, Christopher M. Hutton, Ananya Jahanara Kabir, Mario Laarmann, Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Olivier Remaud, Gisèle Sapiro, Bénédicte Savoy, Maria-Anna Schiffers, Laurens Schlicht, Sergio Ugalde Quintana, Hélène Thierard, Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll.

About this title

About the Author

Markus Messling and Jonas Tinius, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.

From the Back Cover

Our times are marked by the fragmentation of a double relativism: The inevitable critique of Western universalism on the one hand, and resurgent identitarian and neo-nationalistic claims to identity on the other. However, manifold and situated narratives of a common world are currently gaining significance. This volume tracks the development and relevance of such cultural and social practices that posit forms of what we call minor universalism: Where and how do these practices open up concrete settings so as to create experiences, reflections, and agencies of a shared humanity?

Notre époque est marquée par une fragmentation relativiste à deux niveaux: l'inévitable critique de l'universalisme occidental d'une part, la résurgence des revendications identitaires et néo-nationalistes d'autre part. Toutefois, elle voit aussi la production croissante de récits qui abordent l'universel en restant pluriels et situés. Ce volume examine le développement et la pertinence de pratiques culturelles et sociales qui proposent des formes de ce que nous appelons un universalisme mineur: comment ces pratiques produisent-elles, à partir de contextes concrets, des expériences, réflexions et agentivités propres à une humanité partagée ?

Edition details

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3110798484
• ISBN 13: 9783110798487
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320