Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political Theory

Abstract

Bhikhu Parekh’s voice has always been a distinctive one in the growing \nchorus of political theorists who talk about the challenge of cultural diversity. His perspective is not easy to classify. He criticizes liberal, communitarian or neorepublican theories and yet combines their core ideas in his \nown approach. Some readers of Rethinking Multiculturalism may feel that \nhis outlook is too ecumenical. Parekh defends not only cultural, but also \ndoctrinal diversity and this can occasionally be frustrating for critics who \nexpect a political theory to provide a straightforward path from first principles to the resolution of hard cases. Yet Parekh’s book is not at all eclectic. There is an underlying concern that organizes the text and gives it a \ndistinctive edge. In my reading this is the idea that cultural diversity is an \nintrinsic value