Abstract
<p>The early Greek Cynic, Diogenes, when asked where he came from simply replied: kosmopolitēs--‘I am a citizen of the world. The ethical and political paradigm of cosmopolitanism is often exclusively attributed to Greek and Roman Cynicism and Stoicism and is commonly assumed to have reached an impasse throughout the Middle Ages only to resurface in the Enlightenment period with the political philosophies of Hugo Grotius, Adam Smith, and Immanuel Kant. However, the political philosophy of Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī (870-950 CE), represents a promising avenue for the revival and expansion of cosmopolitanism. By harmonizing the seminal texts of Plato and Aristotle with Neoplatonism and Islamic theology (kalām) in a radically innovative manner, al-Fārābī ambitiously proposes the existence of a political community extending across the entire world. The possibility and promise of his cosmopolitan vision remains an enduring contribution to modern and contemporary debates concerning the future of democracy and global political association.</p>