The Particularism of Cosmopolitanism

Cosmopolitan political theorists model their aspirations for global democratic politics on international organisations. But how cosmopolitan are international organisations? Based on a survey of civilian staff of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, the UN headquarters and other organisations working in Kosovo’s post-conflict environment, the current article will show that staff in international organisations are not only cosmopolitan. Their world views confirm the individualist-liberal pedigree of cosmopolitanism but also show a strong tendency towards conservative values and a continued appraisal of the state’s role. Their historical narratives are, furthermore, distinctively based on the historical experience of Western Europe and North America. The article concludes that cosmopolitanism is politically firmly rooted in the historical and ideological experience of the West, and hence is not universal.