Cosmopolitanism Essay

The Internet is playing a very important role in the evolution of digital technology, but although it has seen remarkable growth over the last few years, its dispersion remains highly asymmetric. It is widely believed that the so called information age will bring radical change and improvement, and countries all over the world are busy with constructing the necessary infrastructure, the "information superhighways," in order to meet the challenges of the information society of the twenty-first century. Kwame Anthony Appiah’s essay “Making Conversation” tell us about human’s conversation

Following Okonkwo’s seven year exile, the village Okonkwo once knew has changed due to the influence of Christianity and the influence of the British missionaries and officers. Okonkwo’s initial reaction is to arm the clan against the Colonisers and drive the British people out of Igbo.

Ever seen something that may look odd to you? Or someone that shows up and you seem to wonder why they’re doing what they’re doing? Do you feel a little unpleasant about their actions? That’s totally normal, because that’s what we call cultural collision. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, he shows how cultural collision affected the Ibo culture in Nigeria because of colonization and the arrival of Europeans who brought forth a new religion, a new lifestyle and ways that challenge the Ibo culture. The conflict in Things Fall Apart is the struggle between change and tradition. Chinua Achebe demonstrates Okonkwo’s daily life as a struggle to resist changing from

In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Mr. Brown, the first missionary in Umuofia, was a kind and respectful man. Not to say that Reverend James Smith was not, but his degree of kindness and respect were present in a whole different level. They both wanted to convert the lost, all those in Umuofia that were not in the church. Mr. Brown made friends with the clan and “trod softly on his faith,” (pg.178) while Mr. Smith told them how things were in a harsh voice and tried to force his religion on the people of Umuofia. The impacts the two had on the people and the church were exact opposites.

Appiah defines Cosmopolitanism as being conscious that every citizen that belongs to a community among other communities. The writer wanted to remind the reader the value being of conscious that we are part of a bigger community. Appiah main idea in his work was to start having conversations that discuss cultures, beliefs and values to expand our knowledge about other cultures and not having the excuse of marking another culture’s belief right or wrong. He argues that by using Cosmopolitanism we can create a more united community.

While cosmopolitanism can be viewed as a concise concept, it can also be viewed to have two different strands. The first strand, as Appiah explains, focuses on the obligations we have to one another as universal citizens of the cosmos; obligations that stretch beyond family or local community. The second strand is more intensive stating that not only are we obligated to those whom we share nothing in common with but also find ourselves accountable for knowing other individuals on a more profound level of their practices and belief systems. Yet, while there do exist these two varying strands Appiah also acknowledges that it is not desirable nor probable that as a collective population we want to live under a single model of living. All the while, he briefly states that these two varying strands of the same descending concept may conflict in certain instances. Those who advocate fiercely for the cause of unification and understanding were often mocked for their own hypocritical actions.

They go into Umuofia where they urge people of the Igbo society of convert. The missionaries lead a new way of kindness that many of Igbo people don't know. The acts of killing twins and refusing “undesirables” is strong fully rejected by the Christian church. And many women and men find comfort and a place within the church. Not all missionaries are similar to Reverend Brown. Mr.Brown is the first missionary to travel to Africa, he is very polite to the Igbo people and respects their culture. He believes that communicating and learning from the Igbo people was the way to start without using any violence or aggression. “...The white man was also their brother because they were all sons of God. And he told them about his new God, the creator of all the world and all the men and women,”

Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown are two different missionaries with two very different approaches to relating to the clan. How do these two approaches relate to the theme of colonization in the novel? In one sense, Achebe is presenting different perspectives on the character of colonization. Mr. Brown represents a more humane kind of colonizer. Mr. Smith represents the arrogance of colonization. In the confrontation at the church, the clan, even in the midst of a violent act, tries to respect the beliefs of the Christians. The clan members say, "You can stay with us if you like our ways. You can worship your own god. It is good that a man should worship the gods and the spirits of his fathers. Go back to your house so that you may not be hurt." Compare this to Smith's response: "Tell them to go away from here.

By utilizing an unbiased stance in his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe promotes cultural relativity without forcibly steering his audience to a particular mindset. He presents the flaws of the Ibo tribe the same way he presents the assets—without either condescension or pride; he presents the cruelties of the colonizers the same way he presents their open mindedness—without either resentment or sympathy. Because of this balance, readers are able to view the characters as multifaceted human beings instead of simply heroes and victims. Achebe writes with such subtle impartiality that American audiences do not feel guilty for the cruel actions of the colonizers or disgusted by the shocking traditions of the tribesmen. The readers stop

            When Reverend James Smith is sent to replace the ill Mr. Brown, "things" reroute.  Reverend James Smith openly disputed Mr. Brown's "policy of compromise and

Okonkwo’s culture tells him to beat what he cannot fix, this idea evolved from his father, his mother culture and the lazy ways that came with it. The major factors that shape Nwoye’s view on a culture are his father, his mother culture and the white man. Along with Christianity he completely destroys the values of Okonkwo’s culture. “ Nwoye had been attracted to the new faith from the very first day, but he kept it a secret”(Achebe 149). Nwoye is too afraid of his father, as is, symbolically the clashing culture afraid of the mother culture and the outcome of the clash. The notion of the white man, along with Christianity assimilates Nwoye and his culture. And the factors above shape the view of what he wants a culture to be.

As for the core values of the proposed cosmopolitan model (and new shape of global political order should, in our view, be cosmopolitan in nature), it is rooted in equal moral dignity of all men. Cosmopolitanism has to pledge for global democracy of individuals (but also of ethnic groups and states, at least in initial phases of reform process), where all people should ideally be authorized to participate in decision-making that would later oblige them. Differences in power (though necessary and recommended to a certain point) must be put aside when deciding and ensuring decent capabilities of every human being to follow its chosen life path. All states, individuals and groups are treated equally. Shared and widely-recognized human nature based on needs (not fixed, but ones that are to be imagined and re-defined always again) serves as a precondition for global deliberation and insitution-building, since the cosmopolitan authority may be maintained only if all individuals and groups perceive themselves as relatively equal (in the sense their dignity or worth is the same as those of others, and that they have enough material

The first idea of cross-cultural communication is that one must not hold others to such high expectations, which relates to Mr. Smith in the sense that when he enters Umuofia he believed that all of the Christian followers should know and believe in all aspects of Christianity. This is not following the cosmopolitanism idea because he holds the newfound Christians to such high expectations, in the sense that he thinks they should know everything about the religion. Mr. Smith believes

Okonkwo’s inability to accept the missionaries and their potential benefit eventually results in his suicide. The other tribe members are able to see how the Christians are benefiting the society. They acknowledge that the Christians “brought a government” and that they established a successful “trading store.” (174 + 178) They are also able to be grateful to the white men because for the first time “much money flowed into Umuofia.” (178) Okonkwo cannot possibly see the upside of the European influence. The Ibo and the Christians begin to learn about each other’s beliefs and cultures. One of the Christians, Mr. Brown, spends hours with Akunna “talking through an interpreter about religion”, however neither one attempts to “[convert] the other.” (179)

Having a new perspective with new ideas can change a person. This is true and can be applied to many different people and events, including a character in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. In the novel missionaries come to a tribe, Umuofia, and convert some of their people. However, a convert by the name of Enoch creates tension and unrest between the tribe and the missionaries. If this character were to be more cosmopolitan, one who is familiar and accepts other cultures and ideas, and followed ideas presented in Kwame Anthony Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism his actions would have been vastly different. When one applies Appiah’s cosmopolitan ideas, in Cosmopolitanism to the character of Enoch in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the character of Enoch changes to become an individual of more respect, which in turn would prevent the unrest between the missionaries and the Umuofia people in Things Fall Apart.