Two Visions of Cosmopolitics

This paper explores how Ulrich Beck’s world risk society theory (WRST) and Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory (ANT) can be combined to advance theory of cosmopolitics. On the one hand, WRST is good at illuminating how relevant political actors interact with each other to deal with global risks while negotiating the two logics of politics, cosmopolitanism and nationalism. On the other hand, ANT is good at showing how scientists participate in the construction of global risks and helps to elaborate how science and politics are intertwined in cosmopolitics. By combining the strengths of WRST and ANT, it becomes possible to examine simultaneously the tension between the two logics of politics and the co-constitution of science and politics, both of which, I argue, are crucial for theorization of cosmopolitics. The proposed synthesis of WRST and ANT also force sociologists to critically reflect on their role in cosmopolitics and envision a new form of critical theory.