IB Philosophy 10.6.6 Global Justice and Cross-cultural Application Key Definitions

the philosophical position that all human beings share a common moral community that transcends national and cultural boundaries, and that obligations of justice and concern are not limited to compatriots. Kwame Anthony Appiah's version of cosmopolitanism insists on the equal dignity of every person while respecting genuine cultural diversity, rejecting both isolationist relativism and the demand for cultural uniformity.

Cultural imperialism refers to the imposition of one culture's values, norms, or practices onto other cultures, typically by those in positions of global power. Nussbaum responds to this objection by grounding the capabilities list in cross-cultural dialogue rather than any single cultural tradition.

the view that certain moral standards apply to all human beings regardless of their nationality, culture, or historical context. Nussbaum's capabilities approach is a form of moral universalism: it holds that every person is entitled to a minimum threshold of central human capabilities, and that this entitlement cannot be overridden by appeals to cultural tradition.

the supreme authority within a territory, the final, unchallengeable power to make and enforce law. In political philosophy, debates centre on where sovereignty resides (the monarch, the people, the constitution) and whether it can be divided or shared, as in federal systems.