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Goldberg,DavidTheo.2000."RacistCulture."In
TheoriesofRaceandRacism:AReader.
Ed.LesBlackandJohnSolomos,154-80.London:Routledge.Hanchard,Michael.1994.
OrpheusandPower:TheMovimentoNegroofRiodeJaneiroandSiioPaulo,Brazil,
1945-1988.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress.Kurz,Robert.2003a."GeldundAntisemitismus:DerstrukturelleWahninderwarenproduzierendeModerne."
Exit!
July2,http://www.exit-online.org/textanzl.php?tabelIe=autoren&index=21&posnr=7I&backtextl=textl.php(accessedJuly3,2011).--.2003b.
Weltordnungskrieg:DasEndederSouveranitiitunddieWandlungendesImperialismusimZeitalterderGlobalisierung.
2003.BadHonnef:HorlemannVerlag.
--.2009
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Rev.ed.FrankfurtamMein:EichbornVerlag.Lund,Joshua.2006.
TheImpureImagination:TowardaCriticalHybridityinLatinAmer-icanWriting.
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Ed.AnsonRabinachandJackZipes,302-14.NewYork:HolmesandMeier,Sartre,Jean-Paul.1976.
BlackOrpheus.
Trans.S.W.Allen.Paris:Presenceafricaine.Scholz,Roswitha.2007."Homosacerund'DieZigeuner.'"
Exit!
June20,http://www.exit_online.org!textanzl.php?tabeIle=autoren&index=22&posnr=312&backtext1=textl.php(accessedJuly3,2011).Schwarz,Roberto.1992.
MisplacedIdeas:EssaysonBrazilianCulture.
Trans.JohnGledson.London:Verso.Skidmore,Thomas.1974.
BlackintoWhite:RaceandNationalityinBrazilianThought.
NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.Wallerstein,ImmanueL1991."TheConstructionofPeoplehood:Racism,Nation-alism,Ethnicity."InEtienneBalibarandImmanuelWallerstein,
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RECENTERINGPOLITICALTHEORY
THEPROMISEOFMOBILELOCALITY
-.,.,a,M
In
thispost-universalistera,theideaofprovidingguidanceforculturallydifferentcommunitiesandindividualsisrightlycondemnedasimperialist.YetthisveryrecognitionofcuIturallimitationsironi-callyencouragesfurtherEurocentrism:fearfulofmakingimperialistclaimsaboutpoliticallifethatapplytoall,manycontemporarytheo-ristscarefullyqualifythereachoftheproblemstheyexamineandtheapplicabilityofthenormativetheoriestheypropose.Howmaythisviciouscyclebetruncated?Theemergingfieldofcomparativepoliti-caltheoryjoinspostcolonialstudies,feminism,andsubalternstudiestosuggestthatmoresensitivelycalibratedformsofinclusionmayde-parochializeourpoliticalthinking,withoutreplicatingthehomoge-nizinguniversalismofearliercenturies.PainfullyawarethattheyaresituatedwithintheprivilegedculturalframesofthemodernWest,comparativepoliticaltheoristsidentifytheirstruggleintermsofun-derstandingdifferentlysituatedothersamidpowerdisparitiescreatedbycolonialism,Americanhegemony,andtheglobalflowofcapital.Manyoftheseeffortsinsist,however,thatwecannotdisplace,butonly"provincialize,"Europeanthoughtcategories(touseDipeshChak-rabarty'sphrase),fortheirpersistentrecurrenceispresumedtobeanunavoidableresultofglobalcolonialdominationandoftheWest-erntheorists'owninescapablesituatedness(Euben1999,12-13).Ourtask,inFredDallmayr'swords,becomessimply"tosteeradifficultpathbetweenglobaluniformityandradicalculturaldifference,"inwhichmutualcontestationbutnotaradicalsupplantingofcategoriesorthoughttraditionscantakeplace(1999,3).Ironically,Eurocentrism(bywhichImeanthecognitivehegemonyofcategoriesrootedinWest-ernEuropeanandtoalesserextentAmericanintellectualandhistor-icalexperience)becomesaself-fulfillingprophecyonthisview.Asa
CulturalCritique79-FaU2011-Copyright2011Regents
of
theUniversity
of
Minnesota
 
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destinythatcanatbestbenegotiatedbutneverfullyovercome,itcir-cumscribesouraccesstoalternativetermsofinquiry.Asaresult,non-Westernmaterialsareinvokedbythesestudiesmerelytopiqueour"senseofwonder"(Euben2006,197),increaseunderstandingofourownideologicalpositions(Dallmayr1998,7;March,237),enhanceourowncosmopolitanthinking(Codrej),orenlargeourcanonoftexts(Leslie).InthisessayIexploretheconsequencesofengagingforeignsourcesofthoughtnotbyconstructinga"thirdspace"ofdialogueorcontrast,butbytakingseriouslythebroaderambitionsoftheirclaimstowider-than-localsignificance.Todothiswemustreconceivethe"local"notasaculturalcontextthatpermanentlyconditionsourunderstandingandargumentativeclaims,butasaparticularizedsiteforthecircula-tionofknowledge.TwoexamplesfromAsianexperience-indige-nizationmovementsinChinaandTaiwan,andthehistoricalpracticeofSinologybyJapaneseandEuro-Americanscholars-demonstratetheanalyticpurchaseofthisrecalibratednotionoflocality,astheybeliethewidelyheldassumptionthatnecessarilyparochialstartingpointscircumscribesubsequentattemptstopursueinquiryonalter-nativeorforeigngrounds.Theresultisnotsimplyself-reflexivityabouttheparochialismofourowndebates-producingwhatwemaycallde-centeredtheory,alreadyperformedadmirablybycomparativepolit-icaltheorists,feminists,andpostcolonialscholars,amongothers.Iraisethemoreradicalpossibilityofre-centeringtheconstitutiveterms,audi-ences,andmethodsoftheoreticaldiscourse.AlthoughEurocentrismhaslongbeencritiquedinfieldssuchashistory,anthropology,andsociology,inthisessayIprimarilyengagetheemergingdiscourseofdeparochializationinpoliticaltheorybe-causetheprocessposesinstructiveanduniquelypoignantchallengesforitsdisciplinaryself-identity.Themainreasonforthisisthatthe
mis-
sionofpoliticaltheory,an"unapologeticallymongrelsub-discipline"ofpoliticalscience,isnotprimarilyethnographic,butnormativeandmeta-analytic:otherwisediversepoliticaltheoristsare"unitedbyacommitmenttotheorize,critique,anddiagnosethenorms,practices,andorganizationofpoliticalactioninthepastandpresent,inourownplacesandelsewhere"(Dryzek,Honig,andPhillips,5,4).Whetherthosecommitmentsarecenteredaroundaseriesofsharedquestionsratherthananswers,asetofcanonicaltexts,adisciplinarypositioning
RECENTERINGPOLITICALTHEORY
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vis-a-vispoliticalscience,oratrans-historicalsearchforthegood,thefield'ssystematizedreflectionsor"theories"donotseekinthefirstplacetodocumentorpredict,buttogainameliorativetractiononthepoliticalrealmtheysimultaneouslyinhabit,scrutinize,andhelptode-fine.Beingself-consciouslyconstitutedbytheoryproduction,how-ever,meansthatthefieldisopentoauniqueandparadoxicalriskwhenitattemptsdeparochialization:itisthetheoriesthemselves-thegeneralizationsorinsightsdisciplinedbyongoinghistoricalandcon-temporaryconversationsaboutwhatisorshouldberelevanttoandconstitutiveofpoliticallife-and
not
thesubjectsoftheiranalysesthatdemandredress.Thesimpleinclusionofmore"non-Western"materi-als(whethercasestudies,voices,orcanonicaltexts)withinitsdisci-plinarypurviewisnotenoughtodisturbthislevelofitsparochialism.Yetifitturnsoutthatlocalizedcirculationsofknowledgearenotrootedbutaretoacertaindegreemobile,asIhopetoargue,thendifferentlycentereddisciplines,canons,grammarsofnormativity,andaudiencesofaddressmaythreatennotonlythetextsbutalsothemethodologicaltraditions,audiences,andscholarlycommunitiesaroundwhichvariousschoolsofpoliticaltheoryhavecongealed.Theresultisthatthesealternativesitesofknowledgemaycometosup-planteventhosetheories,suchaspostcolonialismandvariousformsofcross-culturalcomparisonandinclusion,thatgroundcontempo-rarymethodsofdeparochialization;evenmoreradically;theymaycometoreplacetheacademicconventionsandcommitmentsthatorig-inallymarkedtheidentityofbothpoliticaltheory,and,perhaps,"the-ory"assuch.Myexaminationofpoliticaltheoryhere,then,standsnotasanexhaustivestudyofdeparochializationsomuchasauniquelychargedentrypointintowiderdilemmaswithimplicationsfortheorymakinginavarietyofotherscholarlyfields.Simplybycalling
itself
"politi-caltheory,"ofcourse,thepracticeproclaimsitsparochialoriginsandtakesanexistingdisciplinaryformasagiven.Butbyacceptingthatitsresearchfindingsmayputitsveryself-identityatrisk,recenteredpoliticaltheorydiffersfromotheravailablealternatives,
It
doesnotproducemerelyknowledgeabouthowhistoricallyexc1udedotherscanremind"us"ofourownspecificity,ortroublethefinitudeofcat-egoriesimpliedbysecular,rationalistsocialscientificapproaches;rather,itsknowledgebecomesincreasinglydisciplined
by
resources,
 
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audiences,andconcernssitedinother,globallydiffusecommunitiesthatdiscouragereturntoaparochialstartingpoint.
DESTABILIZINGTHELOCAL
Inclaimingtoofferadistinctapproachtocross-culturalengagementthattakeshistoricallymarginalized(oftencodedas"non-Western")traditionsseriouslyassourcesoftheoryproduction,mycalltorecen-tertheoryimplicitlycriticizesexistingalternativesforstoppingshortof
this
moreradicalgoal.Inmuchscholarlyliteratureoncross-culturaltheorizing,solutionstotheproblemofEurocentrismaimprimarilytodrawattentiontothelimitsandcontingencyofthose"mastersig-nifiers"inscribedwithinandbydominant(oftencodedas"Western"or"Europeanized")socialscientificandhumanisticdiscourse(e.g.,Euben2006).Thiseffort,pioneeredandarticulatedbypostcolonialstudies,definesEurocentrismastheprojectionof"theWest"anditsdisciplinarycategoriesasauniversalmeasureofknowledgeagainstwhichallotherlife-worldsorculturesmustbecompared(Prakash,1475n.l;Chakrabarty,29,43).ConfrontingEurocentrismsounder-stoodthusentailsrecognizingtheclosures,contingencies,andsilencesenactedwithinEuropeanizeddiscourseasitslocalcategoriesbecomeinscribedasuniversalones.Thiskindof"criticalworkseeksitsbasisnotwithoutbutwithinthefissuresofdominantstructures"(Prakash,1486-87).
It
thusaimsmoretomitigatewhatFredDallmayrcallsthe"blanduniversalism"accompanyingcolonialismandfirst-worldcap-italflows(1996,99),thantoengageforeigndiscoursesaspotentialoutsidereplacementsfortheproblematiccategoriesofEuropeanizedknowledge.PreciselybecausethisconfrontationwithEurocentrismaimsatits"fissures"ratherthanitsalternatives,thecriticalstancethatunder-minesthecertaintyofEuropeanizedcategories-andsoenablestheentryofmorecosmopolitanrenderingsofhumanlife-worlds-alsoreturnsthetheoristtotheveryaudienceanddiscoursewhosetermsoriginallypromptedthecritique.AlthoughaddressingEurocentrismononelevel,itreconstitutesitonanother:theanalysischastensEuro-peanizedcategoriesonlyinsofarasitcontinuestoinhabitthem(Jenco).Thosetheoristswhoexplicitlyurgetheinclusionofnon-Westernvoices
RECENTERINGPOLITICALTHEORY
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inourdebatesaboutpoliticallife,includingpoliticalphilosopherssuchasCharlesTayloraswellascomparativetheoristssuchasRoxanneEuben,groundthismoveinanunderstandingofknowledgeaslocalandrooted.Incontrasttoanoldercosmopolitanismthatpromotedindiscriminatetoleranceorrootlesseclecticism,this"newcosmopoli-tanism"ischaracterizedbyitsresistancetoimperializinguniversalism,ontheonehand,anditsunwillingnesstosacrificethe"rootedness"ofindividualpersonswithintheirparticularculturalbackgrounds,ontheother(Malcomson,233-35).Inthiswaytheycanresistbothfunctionalistequivalencesanduniversalizingambitions-Archime-dianvantagepointsthattransformlocalizedinsightintogeneral,"uni-versal"knowledge--andinsteadseekanewspaceforcommunicationacrossculturaldifferences(Benhabib;Euben1999).Manyculturallysensitivepoliticalthinkersanalogizethiscosmo-politannegotiationofrootedselvestoaconversationthattakesplacebetweendifferentlysituatedinterlocutorstoencouragemutualtrans-formation-whetherintheformofconvergence,asforBikhuParekhandCharlesTaylor(1999),orofaccommodationwithoutstrictcon-sensus,forJamesTullyandFredDallmayr(1996).CharlesTaylorcallswhatemerges"alanguageofperspicuouscontrast,"inwhichratherthanimposing"our"termson"them"we"formulateboththeirwayoflifeandoursasalternativepossibilitiesinrelationtohumancon-straintsatworkinboth"0985,125).Hans-GeorgGadamerandthosecomparativepoliticaltheoristsinfluencedbyhimsuchasFredDall-mayrinvokeasimilarprocessthatencouragesa"fusionofhorizons."Thesedialogic,supposedlymutuallytransformativeencountersareconductedasoftenbetweentextsasbetweenpeople,andmeantofacil-itatemutualsympathy,groundedinthecredibilityofdifferentlysit-uatedwaysoflife,asameansofcombatinguniversalisthegemonyandhierarchicalpowerrelations(Dallmayr2004;Euben1999,13).ThedialogicapproachfurtherdevelopsthepostcolonialarticulationofEurocentrismbyshowinghowcritiquecanflowfrombothculturallocaleswithoutassertingthesingulardominancethatcharacterizesmore"homogenizing"approaches.Thereareproblemswiththisposition,however,despiteitsimpor-tantroleincorrectingimperializingnarrativesfueledbyunreflective,oftenWestern-centricuniversalism.PratapMehta,speakingofthecos-mopolitanviewpointthatunderliestheseandotherapproachesto
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