Can nationalism be justified as a tool for human organization in a globalizing world? If not what are the alternatives?

The goal of the thesis is to provide a critique of nationalism and its effect on international relations. It is also to look at alternatives to nationalism as human forms of organization and to see if they are viable. The main theories employed here are those of realism, which is tied to theories of nationalism, and cosmopolitanism. There are references to other theories but realism and cosmopolitanism are the basis of the main theoretical discussion. The theory of cosmopolitanism is also linked to the theory of social constructivism, which is an important part of the dissertation’s argument. The thesis follows the format of a critical literature review. It uses the already large amount of literature on nationalism and its alternatives for its sources. The thesis will posit that nationalism plays a more negative role in today’s international affairs than positive. However, it contains elements which are positive also and some of the reasons for the behavior linked to nationalism are accepted as parts of human nature. The thesis also looks at alternative forms of human organisation. It posits that there are and have been alternatives to nationalism. Although many of the alternatives have their own pitfalls or appear unrealistic in the present time, they are nonetheless accepted as something to be worked on or worked towards. The thesis supports moves towards more global governance and the promotion of cosmopolitan notions of coexistence. The thesis also posits that an acceptance of human particularism must be incorporated into any projects to foster more global cooperation. Hence, projects for more international harmony must redefine how interests are defined and how peace and security are reached as opposed to merely basing future forms of human organization on ethics alone