The new cosmopolitanism, peace and intercultural learning

Resumen

In this article I argue that intercultural education should be connected to the so called new cosmopolitanism, that is, one should apply a cosmopolitan outlook on education. The new cosmopolitanism which has emerged during recent years is rooted in an old tolerant multicultural view and at the same time it disassociates itself from a cosmopolitanism which actually represents hidden Western universalism. It is often combined with concepts such as critical, dialogical and vernacular in an attempt to find a middle way between mono-culturalism and particularistic multiculturalism. Arguing that intercultural education should be connected to the new cosmopolitanism is in line with Ulrich Beck’s reasoning in applying methodological cosmopolitanism to the social sciences. Applied to education, this means to view education as a global matter and differences as something positive, a challenge which is a prerequisite for developing new knowledge. In this article, it is also discussed if intercultural education can contribute to the forming of genuinely peaceful societies, especially when it comes to interethnic relations