Crippin’ the Flâneur: Cosmopolitanism, and landscapes of tolerance

Crippin’ the Flâneur: Cosmopolitanism, and landscapes of tolerance

Cosmopolitanism, desire and the contracting of social relationships areenduring themes in both philosophy and social theory. In this paper I seek toexplore these themes in order to ascertain what they might mean to disabled people and the ethos of ableism more generally. Modern Westernized life hassince the Industrial Revolution been sited in cities fostering the growth ofurban culture and an ethos of cosmopolitanism (Agamben, 2009; Beck, 2002; Cheah, 2006). The cosmopolitan outlook has become the signifier of thatwhich is developed, advanced and civilized in society. The liberal project of the melting pot, of social tolerance is cast against the backdrop of city life(Brown, 2006). The paper will first examine the trope of cosmopolitanism anddisability including the place of ‘spaces’ for marginal peoples. Second, it will provide a perspective on the disabled flâneur (Campbell, 2009; Simmel, 1908; Young, 2005) who ambivalently claims ‘outsider-insidedness’ and finally thepaper moves to consider the significant question of social inclusion and the government of aversion through the deployment of discourses of tolerance.

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