Multiculturalism and Its Variants

Will Kymlicka is one of the most important scholars in the field of multiculturalism. He, along with Allen Patten, have been the two key proponents of liberal egalitarianist form of multiculturalism. Will and Allen argue that:

1. Individuals have legitimate interests in their culture, language, and identity.

2. Public institutions must fairly take those interests into account.

3. When specifying those (individual) interests, and fairly taking them into account, we must do so in a way that respects individual autonomy and responsibility.

4. Individuals must be free to form and revise their conception of the good, and are responsible for those choices.

5. In essence, it means that Will’s liberal multiculturalism rests on a moral division of labour. Liberal multiculturalism is focused on the provision of fair opportunities to freely pursue culture-related interests rather than the imposition of duties to maintain any particular identity or way of life.