This course examines the Western cosmopolitan tradition through Martha Nussbaum's critical study, The Cosmopolitan Tradition: A Noble but Flawed Ideal. We will trace the historical development of cosmopolitan thought from ancient Stoicism through Cicero, Grotius, and Adam Smith to contemporary debates about global justice and human rights. Nussbaum presents cosmopolitanism as both a valuable ethical framework centered on universal human dignity and a tradition requiring substantial revision to address problems of pluralism, national sovereignty, and material inequality. Students will engage critically with key tensions in cosmopolitan thought: between universal moral duties and respect for difference, between individual dignity and collective autonomy, and between abstract principles and practical implementation.