Abstract
The thesis that the globalization process can also be understood as a process of humanization is central. People are distinguished by the fact that they are able to differentiate between good and evil, for example, and by the fact that they can agree on this difference. If the questions—what constitutes a good life, what does good order look like?—are generally applicable, the answers must be as well.
Globality means that we share diverse cultural participation in the globalization process. People take part in the globalization process from every part of the Earth and from many different cultures and civilizations. The realm of the human cannot be seen in the opposite way, as the negative of a globality in which humanity is robbed of its essential qualities, for instance human dignity, family, nation, culture and freedom. Globality is the point of cultural encounter, the point of difference. Either these universal standards exist, if there is humanity, or they are negated—with all of the associated consequences for the respective orders and cultures.
Globality does not mean that everything that culturally and factually exists and has validity must also be acknowledged. What is culturally practiced is not automatically sacrosanct.
Shadows occur when progress on the path of modernity is implemented in such a way that ligatures suffer and elements are stripped out that are fundamental for human beings: identity, closeness, continuity—moments that are threatened by the globalization process.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Heinrich Meier, Political Philosophy and the Challenge of Revealed Religion, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2017 (German original: Idem, Philosophie und die Herausforderung der Offenbarungsreligion, Munich: Beck, 2013).
- 2.
Hans-Georg Gadamer, The ideal of Practical Philosophy, in: Idem, Praise of Theory: Speeches and Essays, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 1998, p. 61 (German original: Idem, Lob der Theorie, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 1983, p. 76).
- 3.
On the discussion of such findings, cf. Leo Strauss, Natural Right and History, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953.
- 4.
Hans-Georg Gadamer, The ideal of Practical Philosophy, op. cit., p. 59 (German original. op. cit., p. 75)
- 5.
Cf. my explanations since 2009 on this topic: Tilman Mayer, Skizzen zum Begriff der Globalität, in: Ludger Kühnhardt/Tilman Mayer (eds.), Die Gestaltung der Globalität, Annäherungen an Begriff, Deutung und Methodik, ZEI Discussion Paper C 198, Bonn 2010, pp. 3–9; Idem, Umgang der Politischen Wissenschaft mit dem Strukturmerkmal Globalität, in: Idem (eds.), Die Gestaltung der Globalität, Annäherungen an Begriff, Deutung und Methodik, ZEI Discussion Paper C 195, Bonn 2009, pp. 63–67; as well as: Idem, Globalität und curriculare Implikationen in den Geisteswissenschaften, in: Idem (eds.), Die Gestaltung der Globalität, Wirkungen der Globalität auf ausgewählte Fächer der Philosophischen Fakultät, ZEI Discussion Paper C 203, Bonn 2011, pp. 3–6.
- 6.
Cf. the considerations of historian Jürgen Osterhammel on this aspect, for instance, in: The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century, Princeton, NJ/Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2014 (German original: Idem, Die Verwandlung der Welt: Eine Geschichte des 19. Jahrhunderts, Munich: Beck, 2009); further: Idem, Globalization: A Short History, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005); Idem (ed.), Weltgeschichte, Stuttgart: Steiner, 2008.
- 7.
Cf. various of Beck’s writings in this context, for instance: Ulrich Beck, What is Globalization?, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2000 (German original: Idem, Was ist Globalisierung? Irrtümer des Globalismus—Antworten auf Globalisierung, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 2007). Further: Idem, Die Eröffnung des Welthorizontes, Zur Soziologie der Globalisierung, in: Soziale Welt 47/1997, pp. 3–16.
- 8.
Ludwig August von Rochau, Grundsätze der Realpolitik, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 1973, p. 26.
- 9.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali referred to this circumstance very clearly, in: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilization, New York: Free Press, 2010.
- 10.
Cf. Leo Strauss, What is Political Philosophy? in: Idem, What is Political Philosophy? and Other Studies, Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 1988, pp. 9–55.
- 11.
Cf. Tilman Mayer, Den ‚Neuen Menschen‘ schaffen, Die ideologische Grundlage der kommunistischen Herrschaft, in: Andreas H. Apelt/Robert Grünbaum/Martin Gutzeit (eds.), Schöner Schein und Wirklichkeit, Die SED-Diktatur zwischen Repression, Anpassung und Widerstand, Berlin: Metropol, 2013, pp. 53–64.
- 12.
Feuerbach, Ludwig, Principles of the philosophy of the future, Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Publishing, 1986, p. 72 (German original: Idem, Grundsätze der Philosophie der Zukunft, GW 9, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1970, p. 339).
- 13.
Ludwig August von Rochau, Grundsätze der Realpolitik, op. cit., p. 208.
Literature
Aristotle, edited by R.F. Stalley, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Beck, Ulrich, What is Globalisation?, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2000 (German original: Idem, Was ist Globalisierung? Irrtümer des Globalismus – Antworten auf Globalisierung, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 2007).
Beck, Ulrich, Die Eröffnung des Welthorizontes, Zur Soziologie der Globalisierung, in: Soziale Welt 47/1997, pp. 3–16.
Feuerbach, Ludwig, Principles of the philosophy of the future, Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Publishing, 1986 (German original: Idem, Grundsätze der Philosophie der Zukunft, GW 9, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1970).
Gadamer, Hans-Georg, Praise of Theory: Speeches and Essays, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 1998 (German original: Idem, Lob der Theorie, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 1983).
Hirsi Ali, Ayaan, From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilization, New York: Free Press, 2010.
Mayer, Tilman, Skizzen zum Begriff der Globalität, in: Kühnhardt, Ludger/Mayer, Tilman (eds.), Die Gestaltung der Globalität, Annäherungen an Begriff, Deutung und Methodik, ZEI Discussion Paper C 198, Bonn 2010, pp. 3–9.
Mayer, Tilman, Umgang der Politischen Wissenschaft mit dem Strukturmerkmal Globalität, in: Kühnhardt, Ludger/Mayer, Tilman (eds.), Die Gestaltung der Globalität, Annäherungen an Begriff, Deutung und Methodik, ZEI Discussion Paper C 195, Bonn 2009, pp. 63–67.
Mayer, Tilman, Globalität und curriculare Implikationen in den Geisteswissenschaften, in: Kühnhardt, Ludger/Mayer, Tilman (eds.), Die Gestaltung der Globalität, Wirkungen der Globalität auf ausgewählte Fächer der Philosophischen Fakultät, ZEI Discussion Paper C 203, Bonn 2011, pp. 3–6.
Mayer, Tilman, Den ‚Neuen Menschen‘ schaffen, Die ideologische Grundlage der kommunistischen Herrschaft, in: Apelt, Andreas H./Grünbaum, Robert/Gutzeit, Martin (eds.), Schöner Schein und Wirklichkeit, Die SED-Diktatur zwischen Repression, Anpassung und Widerstand, Berlin: Metropol, 2013, pp. 53–64.
Meier, Heinrich, Political Philosophy and the Challenge of Revealed Religion, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2017 (German original: Idem, Philosophie und die Herausforderung der Offenbarungsreligion, Munich: Beck, 2013).
Osterhammel, Jürgen, The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century, Princeton, NJ/Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2014 (German original: Idem, Die Verwandlung der Welt. Eine Geschichte des 19. Jahrhunderts, Munich: Beck, 2009).
Osterhammel, Jürgen, Globalization: A Short History, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.
Osterhammel, Jürgen (ed.), Weltgeschichte, Stuttgart: Steiner, 2008.
Strauss, Leo, Natural Right and History, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953.
Strauss, Leo, What is Political Philosophy? and Other Studies, Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Von Rochau, Ludwig August, Grundsätze der Realpolitik, Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 1973.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mayer, T. (2019). Humanity, Globality, and Politics. In: Kühnhardt, L., Mayer, T. (eds) The Bonn Handbook of Globality. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90382-8_66
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90382-8_66
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90381-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90382-8
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)