This paper draws attention to the possibilities of the qualified philosophical discussion about a cosmopolitan dilemma in the development of ESD. We argue that one challenge facing the development of ESD is the finding of balanced ways to deal with the normativity dilemma that take both the search for universal claims and particular contexts seriously.
Taking the perspective of educational philosopher Sharon Todd, we explore how postmodernist thinking and a poststructural perspective balance between the cultivation of universal values and individuals’ autonomous thinking, and relate these approaches to ESD.
Our claim is that ESD is in need of a critical discussion and exploration of ESD as a political project with dissonant voices that takes the particular human encounter into consideration.