Walk the line
Walking the line between absolutism and relativism is where Appiah finds cosmopolitanism in his writing Cosmopolitanism and The Art of Social Change. In doing so, it allows him to suggest that some actions are not necessarily absolutely right or wrong, or that knowledge, truth, and morality may not only exist in relation to culture, society or history. He sees this as a way to explore morality through the scope of the middle ground.
In Cosmopolitanism, Appiah describes the different components of cosmopolitanism. He comments on the harsh reality of balance in cosmopolitanism by understanding that one must be open to others, but still willing to hold onto one’s own thoughts and beliefs. Appiah states, “One is the idea that we have obligations to others…the other is that we take seriously the value of …particular human lives… [thus], there will be times when these two ideals — universal concern and respect for legitimate difference — clash. There’s a sense in which cosmopolitanism is the name not of the solution but of the challenge” (Appiah xv). This inner conflict allows one to see the importance of balance, even if one favors one side over the other.
Across cultures, morals and values vary. Even individuals within a culture can believe their inner compass points in a different direction. However, the author suggests that though there may be many underlying differences between people, finding an universal truth, a shared value of humanity, will allow for different cultures to settle and co-exist in the same world. Achieving this ideal is troublesome, but necessary in order to create peace in an ever-changing world. Many will disagree and create conflict. The author explains, “[there are] three kinds of disagreement about values: we can fail to share vocabulary of evaluation; we can give the same vocabulary different interpretations; and we can give the same values different weights.” This means that miscommunication is bound to happen across cultures and in doing so will create disagreement regarding different values. If this occurs, clarification is needed. Though it is never guaranteed that explaining or reinterpreting an issue will create change within another, giving one the opportunity to dissolve a disagreement is encouraged in order to find peace. Appiah reenforces this statement by stating, “When it comes to morality, there is no singular truth. In that case, there’s no one shattered mirror; there are lots of mirrors, lots of moral truths, and we can at best agree to differ” (Appiah 11).
While reading this piece, I could not help but to think of my community partner. At AVID, there is plenty of opportunity to engage in inner conflict or to disagree. Finding a balance while juggling many aspects of life can be a hard task, especially for a student who is unsure when or if he will have dinner that night. These students do their best to explain their differences and to try to understand others and the many perspectives of the classroom. They work to become well-rounded citizens of the world and try to see their unique place in it. AVID students sign a contract in the beginning of each year. The contract is a long list is values that AVID students abide by in order to succeed. A long list of shared values paints the classroom walls as each one of their signatures binds the class as a whole. The world could take a few pointers from these high school students. They are already creating change. They changed me.
