Description
As humanity becomes increasingly interconnected through globalization, the question of whether community is possible within culturally diverse societies has returned as a principal concern for contemporary thought. Lorenzo Simpson charges that the current discussion is stuck at an impasse-between postmodernism's fragmented notions of cultural difference and humanism's homogeneous versions of community. Simpson proposes an alternative-one that bridges cultural differences without erasing them. He argues that we must establish common aesthetic and ethical standards incorporating sensitivity to difference if we are to achieve cross-cultural understanding.
Table of Contents
Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Humanism, Postmodernism , and Irony; I. Historical Considerations; 1. On Arnold and Herder: The Idea of Culture and the Idea of Difference 2. Musical Interlude: Adorno on Jazz, Or How Not to Fuse Horizons; II. The Unfinished Project; 3. Critical Theory and the Politics of Recognition; 4. Situated Cosmopolitanism; 5. Postmodern Rejoinders; Epilogue: Towards a Humanistic Multiculturalism; Notes; Bibliography; Index
