Ethox Seminar: What is data cosmopolitaism?
Jon Rueda, Momentum Fellow at the President’s Cabinet and the Ethics in Research Department in the Spanish National Research Council, and Caroline Miles Scholar
Tuesday, 28 April 2026, 2pm to 3.30pm
abstract
We live in a world rich in data. This talk seeks to revive the philosophical tradition of cosmopolitanism to rethink some of the challenges associated with data governance. Although data cosmopolitanism can be applied to a wide variety of data types, this talk will focus on health data. Previously, I defined data cosmopolitanism as “a normative ideal aimed at addressing global data injustices, promoting data solidarity across the world, and fostering international cooperation on data initiatives to improve global health” (Rueda et al., 2025). This talk aims to broaden our understanding of the nature, benefits, and trade-offs of data cosmopolitanism. In doing so, it brings cosmopolitan philosophy into dialogue with global health ethics to examine the duties surrounding the collection, management, and sharing of data while considering the interests of the global community. In addition, I will critically contrast data cosmopolitanism with two competing positions: data nationalism and data regionalism. Unlike both approaches, data cosmopolitanism maintains that justice, solidarity, and cooperation are not confined to a specific country or region but should extend globally. Finally, the talk will conclude by addressing potential objections and acknowledging the limitations of data cosmopolitanism in a world marked by heated geopolitical tensions, a competitive global data economy, and the absence of robust global governance structures.
To join online, please register here.