„Excites intellectual reflexivity and adds to our repertoire ofknowledge, not only about cosmopolitanism but also about ourcurrent social, cultural and historical predicament. It is for this(but not only this) reason that we should sit up and listen to what[Beck] has to say.“
Journal of Sociology
"Beck's contribution to the normative construction of acosmopolitan vision in the world today inspires hope and confidencein a new era of global political and social relations.„
Australian Journal of Political Science
“Once again, Ulrich Beck has brought a distinctive perspectiveto a major social issue. He rightly sees that cosmopolitanismcannot simply be wished into reality but can only be achieved onthe basis of confronting basic issues of social inequality. We needto pay attention."
Craig Calhoun, New York University
A persistent theme running through the book is the attempt torecover an authentically European tradition of cosmopolitanopenness to otherness and tolerance of difference. What Europeneeds, Beck argues, is the courage to unite forms of life whichhave grown out of language, skin colour, nationality or religionwith awareness that, in a radically insecure world, all are equaland everyone is different.