Greek and Roman Cosmopolitanism
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Aristotle and Plato represent an ideal political culture that is not cosmopolitan
- for an Athenian citizen, the pursuit of good life is linked to the fate of their city and a similar pursuit by the fellow inhabitants
- cosmopolitan expectations: attitudes towards foreigners who live in Athens
- however not anti-cosmopolitan (not an active exclusion or persecusion of foreigners, for example), simply uncosmopolitan
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Other greeks however were pursuing cosmopolitan interests:
- for example, travelling intelectuals focused on the contrast between the natural ties of humanity and the conventional ties of politics (Sophist Hippias)
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Socrates avoids traditional political engagement and focuses on political examinations that extend to all, Athenians and foreigner
- his ideas helped develop the