Universalism as Negotiation
= Universalism as Negotiation: A Cosmolocal and Scalar Reframing of Universality
Source
Via chatgpt, prompted by Michel Bauwens on the occasion of the death of Jurgen Habermas.
Context
This model reflects a broader transformation from abstract, Eurocentric universalism tied to Civilizational bloc thinking towards scalar, networked universalism associated with hybrid, post-civilizational identities.
Universalism is not the elimination of difference, but the negotiated interoperability of differences across hyperlocal, bioregional, and cosmolocal scales.
The shift underway is not simply from “European” to “non-European” philosophy, but from universalism as proclamation to universalism as process. In this sense, universality is no longer located in a tradition, a civilization, or a method, but in the ongoing, multi-scalar negotiation of a shared world among already entangled human and ecological realities.
Description
Universalism as Negotiation is the view that universal norms, values, and truths do not pre-exist human interaction but emerge through ongoing processes of translation, contestation, and cooperation across multiple scales of human organization.
Rather than being grounded in a single philosophical tradition (e.g. European Enlightenment universalism associated with Jürgen Habermas), universality is understood as a dynamic, co-produced commons of meaning.
Typology
From Civilizational to Scalar Universalism
Earlier critiques of Eurocentric universalism (e.g. Enrique Dussel, Walter Mignolo) often reframed universality as a dialogue between civilizations.
However, this framing is now insufficient because:
- Civilizations are internally plural and historically hybridized
- Individuals embody multiple overlapping epistemic lineages
@Globalization has created deep entanglement across traditions
Revised premise:
Universalism is not negotiated between civilizations, but through layered interactions across scales of lived reality
Characteristics
The Three Scales of Negotiated Universalism
A. Hyperlocal (Situated Knowledge)
At the most immediate level, universality emerges from:
- lived experience
- community practices
- embodied knowledge
Thinkers such as Lewis Ricardo Gordon and Cornel West emphasize that philosophical validity begins from situated existence, especially from historically marginalized positions.
Universalism here is: grounded in the irreducible plurality of lived realities
B. Bioregional (Embedded Interdependence)
At an intermediate scale, human communities are embedded in:
- ecological systems
- territorial cultures
- material constraints
While less explicit in classical philosophy, this layer is implicit in Achille Mbembe ( as planetary vulnerability) and Wang Hui (as regional historical trajectories).
Universalism here becomes: negotiated within shared conditions of ecological and material interdependence
This adds a crucial dimension often missing from both Enlightenment and postcolonial thought: the Earth system as co-constitutive of universality.
C. Cosmolocal (Global Coordination)
At the planetary level, universality emerges through:
- translation across knowledge systems
- digital and institutional infrastructures
- translocal collaboration
Thinkers such as: Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Abdolkarim Soroush andMohammad Mojtahed Shabestari highlight that universality is constructed through interpretation and dialogue across traditions.
Universalism here is: an interoperable global commons, not a uniform system
Key Concept: Interoperability over Unity
This scalar model leads to a redefinition of universality:
Not unity (one truth, one system) > < But interoperability (coexistence and coordination among differences)
Universality = the capacity of diverse systems of meaning to relate, translate, and co-function
Discussion
Relation to Cosmolocalism
The concept of Universalism as Negotiation aligns with cosmolocalism across three interconnected scales:
| Dimension | Cosmolocalism | Negotiated Universalism |
|---|---|---|
| Local | Local production / situated knowledge | Hyperlocal lived experience as the grounding of universality |
| Bioregional | Bioregional ecosystems and resource stewardship | Embedded material and ecological negotiation shaping shared norms |
| Global | Shared global knowledge commons (design global, manufacture local) | Translational universality through dialogue and interoperability |
Thus:
Universalism becomes the cultural and philosophical dimension of cosmolocal coordination.
Philosophical Contributions
A. Ethics from Exteriority
- Enrique Dussel
- Lewis Ricardo Gordon
→ The universal must be validated from the standpoint of those excluded by it.
B. Epistemic Pluralism
- Walter Mignolo
- Wang Hui
→ There are multiple coexisting epistemologies, none of which can claim total dominance.
C. Hermeneutic and Translational Universalism
- Souleymane Bachir Diagne
- Abdolkarim Soroush
→ Universality is produced through interpretation, not abstraction.
D. Planetary Condition
- Achille Mbembe
→ Shared vulnerability (ecological, political, technological) forms a new basis for universality.