>nationalism: an infantile disease; the measles of humanity. Our generation's challenge is to conquer this.
The first alternatives to nationalism that come to mind are global capitalism and global humanism. Global capitalism seems to be winning out over global humanism and is, in many ways, worse than nationalism. Global capitalism, for example, isn't particularly concerned about environment damage to any given country.
"Global capitalism, for example, isn't particularly concerned about environment damage to any given country."
That's correct, but only because [free market] capitalism reflects the moral values of the individuals that participate in it, and "conserve the world's environment" is not a globally accepted value. If people come to value not trashing other people's homes, then that value will be reflected in the market as a value that competes with "just get me my stuff cheap".
Then there is the Marxist concept of capitalism, which I think reflects the state of our neoliberal society more accuratly - that growth and ownership of capital are values unto itself. And, that system probably cares less about environmental damage, although it is more close to the above form of capitalism than, say, mercantilism, or feudalism, or communism.
What exactly is "global humanism"? And if the humans in this system you're proposing don't value not trashing other people's homes, then how exactly does it solve this problem of environmental damage?
>What exactly is "global humanism"? And if the humans in this system you're proposing don't value not trashing other people's homes, then how exactly does it solve this problem of environmental damage?
"Global humanism" would be the global acceptance of a framework of values meant to better the human conditon for all of humanity. And you're completely right: humanity doesn't agree on values so if global humanism somehow manifests, it will be as a pretext for a global imperial order.
The first alternatives to nationalism that come to mind are global capitalism and global humanism. Global capitalism seems to be winning out over global humanism and is, in many ways, worse than nationalism. Global capitalism, for example, isn't particularly concerned about environment damage to any given country.