Pluralism, multiculturalism and group rights

• Main Author: KUKATHAS, Chandran
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 1996
• Subjects: Political Economy; Political Science
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2957; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/4214/viewcontent/Pluralism__multiculturalism_and_group_rights.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

However prevalent may have been the longing for homogeneity, or at least social unity, in political thinking, the fundamental point which must be recognized is that cultural diversity or pluralism has been the most notable feature of society in the history of human set tlement. "Marginality and pluralism were and are the norm of civi lized existence."1 There are several reasons why this is the pattern revealed by history.2 The first has to do with the ubiquity of military conflict. Even among barbarians ethnic political unity was fragile because military conquests resulted in the mixing of peoples. But throughout history the military ventures of both nomadic and civi lized peoples ensured a continual mingling of aben peoples. A sec ond factor which contributed to this mingling was trade, which developed further with greater specialization and the division of labor.3 Thirdly, disease, in its impact on health and mortality in urban centers had a profound demographic effect: the loss of popu lations and labor shortages meant that cities were forced to look outside for replacement?to immigrants, to guest workers, and to slaves. Finally, the rise of universalist religions such as Islam, Buddhism and Christianity served to further transform distant cul tures with foreign ideas and foreign visitors.