Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

1-2015

Abstract

This paper critically revisits the A-bomb victims' plea for cosmopolitan commemoration that takes humanity, rather than nationality, as a primary frame of reference. To this end, I first elaborate the nature of cosmopolitan commemoration espoused by A-bomb victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in comparison with another form of cosmopolitan commemoration pertaining to the Holocaust victims. I then analyze limitations in these cosmopolitan commemorations and explore how they can be transcended. In light of my critical analysis, I argue that genuinely cosmopolitan commemoration, a prerequisite for reconciliation and world peace, will appear on the horizon if the commemorations of the two events are synthesized with the help of historians debate that continuously subjects the logic of nationalism to critical reflections. This synthesis has the potential to help people envision cosmopolitan politics - cosmopolitics - where they can engage in peaceful but agonistic struggles, not as enemies but as fellow humans, in collectively governing their lives in today's war-torn world.

Keywords

Collective memory, cosmopolitanism, nationalism, reconciliation

Discipline

Asian Studies | Peace and Conflict Studies | Sociology

Research Areas

Sociology

Publication

Thesis Eleven

Volume

129

Issue

1

First Page

72

Last Page

88

ISSN

0725-5136

Identifier

10.1177/0725513615592983

Publisher

SAGE Publications (UK and US)

Copyright Owner and License

Author

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/0725513615592983

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