Which king, whose sovereignty? Notes on the nation-state in times of globalization

Abstract

One of the most prominent issues in contemporary social philosophy is the democratic institutionalization of social change. In the following paper, we analyze how such an objective must not overlook the changes wrought by globalization. To this end, we first present some of the critical responses to globalization presented by contemporary thinkers (Federici, Tomba, Srnicek). Next, we tackle the notions of the ?diffuse regime of transnational power?, ?lex mercatoria? and ?governance?, and point out how these concepts are indispensable for a complete understanding of the present of capitalism in the areas of trade and