PG 300 34 - Citizenship in an Age of Empire: Theories of Global Citizenship

In Aristotle’s Politics, he defines a citizen as one “who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state.” This definition, which emphasizes active participation in the institutions that govern our lives, is a central component of democratic theory. However, the political and economic realities of globalization pose daunting challenges to our conceptions of citizenship. What kinds of opportunities for participation exist in a world where the sovereignty of the nation-state is impinged upon by international economic and political institutions? In short, what are the rights and duties of a global citizen? This course investigates these questions through the lens of democratic theory. Although the challenges posed to democratic citizenship by globalization are often assumed to be purely modern-driven by recent advances in transportation and communication technologies-this course offers students a historical perspective on global citizenship by situating the concept in ancient Athens before turning to contemporary theories of citizenship. This is not a travel course. R-option. (Group I) (Diversity) (Writing)