Liberal multiculturalism Flashcards
Liberal multiculturalism is framed largely by the writings of which Canadian political writer?
William Kymlicka.
What is liberal multiculturalism also referred as?
‘shallow diversity’
What are the three key ideas of liberal multiculturalism?
Community-based individualism.
Checks majoritarianism.
Tolerance updated.
Kymlicka links multiculturalist principles to the pursuit of which three things?
Self-determination, self-realisation and self-fulfilment
What are group differentiated rights?
Coined by Will Kymlicka, this denotes a belief that state-backed rights should not be ‘universal’ in the way suggested by liberalism, but more sensitive to the specific cultural perspectives of minority communities. As a result, some communities should be accorded rights (such as the right to make comments mocking religion) that are not expected to be upheld in other communities.
By recommending group differentiated rights, Kymlicka was therefore advancing a liberal defence of what?
Positive discrimination
How is Kymlicka putting on a multiculturalist slant on the ‘modern liberal’ justification for ‘positive’ liberty?
It was only by granting rights that were specific to an individual’s community that the ‘enabling’ state could correct the specific injustices that this community had suffered- and thus ‘liberate’ its individual members.
Kymlicka argued that multiculturalism had its roots in what?
Classical liberalism and the Enlightment
What did Kymlicka note, regarding Locke’s idea of a social contract and governance by consent?
That such consent would be hard to secure unless the state had formally recognised and respected the differing values of various communities.
Ignoring such communities would jeopardise the Lockean idea of a social contract between governors and governed.
According to Kymlicka, what can answer Mill’s question of government by consent being reconciled with the principle of majority rule?
Multiculturalist sate, practicing positive discrimination and other group differentiated rights, could ensure that minority cultures were always recognised and accommodated alongside majority opinion.
How did Kymlicka argue that liberalism’s support for multiculturalist is perfectly consistent with classical liberalism?
For Locke and Mill, any assault on freedom of religion in particular was an erosion of the individual freedom that liberals inherently extol.
Which one of Mill’s distinction did Kymlicka draw upon as to what should be tolerated and what should not?
‘Self regarding’ and ‘other regarding’ actions.
He argued that dress codes and manner of religious worship fall into the former category and thus it would be illiberal for the state to discourage such practices.
What are the arguments that suggests that multiculturalism is at odds with liberalism?
- Multiculturalism ‘miniaturises’ individuals, by addressing them merely as members of a ‘community’.
- Some of the communities multiculturalism exalt religion over rationalism.
- Some of the communities multiculturalism legitimises opposes social liberalism, especially on issues like sexuality.
- Some of the communities multiculturalism legitimises are patriarchal and opposes to homosexuality, thus denying many individuals equal rights and opportunities.
- Some of the communities multiculturalism legitimises might oppose free markets, favouring instead protectionism for the community’s own producers.
What are the arguments that suggest that multiculturalism is not at odds with liberalism?
- Multiculturalism’s stress on ‘diversity’ is consistent with liberal individualism.
- Like liberalism, multiculturalism emphasises tolerance of minority cultures and communities.
- By ring-fences the rights of minority communities, multiculturalism prevents the ‘tyranny of the majority’,
- Multiculturalism helps secures government by consent from all communities.
- Multiculturalism practices (such as positive discrimination and group differentiated rights) are consistent with the positive freedom and enabling state advocated by modern liberalism.
