Twenty Observations on a World in Turmoil

Translated by Ciaran Cronin. The world is a state of turmoil. From the financial crisis tothe chaos in the eurozone, from the Arab uprisings to protests inAthens, Barcelona, New York and elsewhere, many of the familiarframeworks are collapsing and we have to find new ways to orientourselves in a world undergoing rapid change. Of course, it isnecessary for political leaders to address local issues and reactto people's specific demands, but without a cosmopolitanoutlook, such a reaction is likely to be inadequate. UlrichBeck's Twenty-one Observations on a World in Turmoilis a demonstration of cosmopolitan politics in practice. It is morethan a mirror: it is a magnifying glass that brings into focus theprocesses that are transforming our world and highlights the greatchallenges we face today. 'Global domestic politics', the concept introduced anddeveloped by Beck, is much more than a political theory, aphilosophical utopia (or dystopia), a governance programme or amental state: it is the reality of our times. Beck turns theargument that 'global domestic politics' is anunrealistic ideology on its head, arguing that it is the proponentsof the national who are the idealists. They view reality throughthe obsolete lenses of the nation-state and thus cannot see theprofound global changes that are transforming our reality. Globaldomestic politics is therefore a perspective, a political realityand a normative idea. And it is the critical theory of our timessince it challenges the most profound truths which we hold dear:the truths of the nation.