Monday, July 28, 2008
The Multicultural Mystique is now available
... on Amazon. H.E. Baber argues that multiculturalism is illiberal, insofar as it imposes 'scripted' expectations on individuals based on unchosen traits (e.g. ethnicity), and limits their opportunities for self-creation and re-invention. See my old review of the book [draft] for more detail.
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I am surprised that an ex-Canterbury lad like you makes no mention of David Novitz's work on community.
ReplyDeleteCommunity is a double-edged sword. It gives belonging and loyalty from others within it, at the price of exclusion of those who fail to conform to the community's norms.
But of course multi-culturalism is illiberal in Baber's sense. Almost all communities are. It's not about free self-invention - it's about being limited to picking a self that will belong in a community.