20. Cosmopolitan Rationale for Planetary Defense

An asteroid threat of a significant magnitude impacts the lives of every single person on Earth, as well as every single non-human lifeform on the planet. The issue is inherently cosmopolitan, as we are all undeniable equal in the face of such a threat. The following chapter introduces the reader to the evolution of cosmopolitan thinking over the centuries or even millennia, demonstrating how particular philosophers have thought about the principles of cosmopolitan equality. Immanuel Kant stands as the icon of cosmopolitan thinking; he detached the cosmos from the rule of law and introduced the human as a cognitive agent. Ulrich Beck introduced key concepts that we use throughout the volume, such as national and cosmopolitan outlooks as well as the prison error of identity, which explains how falsely we align with social groups according to political will but not according to rational consequences. Finally, Anthony Burke’s recent security cosmopolitanism is explained as the global security imperative. This chapter is the theoretical foundation of the volume’s core message supporting a planetary defense policy as a strategic necessity to survive and flourish.