Cosmopolitanism, Self-Determination and Territory / Comparative Territorial Politics (PDF)

Oliviero Angeli is a Lecturer at the University of Dresden and teaches political theory, with special emphasis on constitutionalism and contemporary theories of (global) justice. He has published widely in these fields as well as on migration and Kantian philosophy. He has held visiting posts and fellowships at various universities, including the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Oxford University, the European University Institute in Florence and the Catholic University of Louvain.

'This rigorously argued innovative book discusses the moral significance of territory. Using sharp analytic tools Dr. Angeli exposes mercilessly the fallacies in the traditional treatment of issues including cosmopolitanism and self-determination. Under his view moral cosmopolitanism does not preclude territorial rights. This book challenges the most entrenched beliefs of contemporary political theorists and provides an original and a compelling alternative which will greatly influence contemporary discourse concerning the international order.'

Alon Harel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

'Territory is back in political theory and Angeli's concise book shows why liberals ought to take it seriously. Angeli reconciles moral cosmopolitanism with rights of states to self-determination and shows how control over immigration and resources must be limited but can also be justified. He writes with exceptional clarity and makes his argument accessible to a wide audience.'

Rainer Bauböck, European University Institute, Florence, Italy

'Why should we think of states as entitled to wield authority over a specific territory? In his clear-headed and historically erudite study, Oliviero Angeli identifies the challenges that arise for theories of political territoriality if we take seriously the universalistic idea of individuals as bearers of cosmopolitan rights. His substantive account shows why we should reject "liberal nationalist" views that rely on special ethical relations to territory, and instead embrace the value of democratic self-determination.'

Peter Niesen, University of Hamburg, Germany

'Although the issue of what justifies states' territorial rights has recently attracted a great deal of attention in normative political theory, there are still very few book-length treatments of the topic. Oliviero Angeli's deeply engaging and erudite monograph fills a major gap in the literature by illuminating the