Philosophy
Global Justice and Cosmopolitan Obligations Beyond Borders
Quick fact
Cosmopolitanism, in its moral form, holds that every human being has equal moral worth, so our obligations of justice—such as providing aid or reducing inequality—do not stop at national borders. This implies that a person's citizenship is as morally arbitrary as their race or gender.
Why this is interesting
You probably feel no obligation to help a stranger on another continent, yet if that stranger were your neighbor, you'd feel a moral pull. Why does distance or nationality change what we owe each other?