Following postnational signs: the trail of human rights

Following postnational signs is one of way of moving 'beyond nationalism', and this requires a critique of the moral and ethical foundations of the modern political community. However, moving 'beyond nationalism' is by itself not necessarily superior to operating within national boundaries. The important issue is how we can improve the human condition by following postnational signs or moving beyond nationalism. The route through human rights is one of many, but it is ethically appealing because it has the potential to broaden the scope of human emancipation and strengthen social bonds across the globe. Promoting human rights can provide a platform for the deconstruction of the nation-state, which will subsequently expose its totalizing effects, especially its strategies for ensuring that the boundaries of territory, nation, citizenship and sovereignty are coterminous.