Liberalism and the Limits of Multiculturalism

What is it about?

One of the most pressing issues facing liberal democracies today is the politicization of ethnocultural diversity. Minority cultures are demanding greater public recognition of their distinctive identities, and greater freedom and opportunity to retain and develop their distinctive cultural practices. In response to these demands, new and creative mechanisms are being adopted in many countries for accommodating difference. This paper discusses some of the issues raised by these demands, focusing in particular on the difficulties that arise when the minority seeking accommodation is illiberal. Undoubtedly, ethnocultural relations are often full of complications that defy simple categories or easy answers. However, we can make some progress if we draw some distinctions between different kinds of groups, and different kinds of group rights. We probe the nature of liberal tolerance and then delineate the limits of state intervention by looking at some troubling practices and analyzing pertinent court judgments.

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Why is it important?

There is a tension between liberal individual rights, and group rights. This tension needs understanding and probing.

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