Introduces students to basic concepts in theories of multiculturalism and explores philosophical debates related to ethnicity, class, gender, race, religion, and food (among other problems) that have emerged from this discourse. Focusing on specific cases of cultural and political contestation, students reflect on both the achievements and shortcomings of the project of multiculturalism in the Anglo-American West.
Athena Title
Philosophy of Multiculturalism
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in PHIL 2700E
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to contextualize multiculturalism discourses within the history of political philosophy (in particular, with respect to the history of political liberalism).
Students will learn a set of core concepts related to ethnicity, race, culture, political autonomy, juridical frameworks, and rights- and recognition-based discourses, as these contribute to an understanding of multiculturalism.
Students will apply these concepts towards developing a philosophical analysis of a selection of salient debates and problems that have characterized the social and political landscape of multicultural societies in the west (with a primary focus on the United States).
Students will familiarize themselves with the critical literature on multiculturalism, reflecting on the weaknesses of the tradition, whether determined as a political discourse of rights or an ethical paradigm for developing models of recognition and respect (among various other trajectories in the multiculturalism discourse that have come in for critical evaluation).
Topical Outline
1. Introduction to the Concepts of Ethnicity, Race, Gender, and Culture
2. Multiculturalism in the History of Political Liberalism
a. Classical Liberalism
b. Critical Perspectives
3. Multiculturalism as Respect and Recognition
a. Respect/Recognition as a Political Discourse
b. The Politics of Recognition
4. Multiculturalism as a Rights Discourse
a. Individual and Collective Rights
b. Equality in a Multicultural Society
5. Multiculturalism and Women
a. Is Multiculturalism Good for Women?
b. Liberal, First-World Feminism and Minority, Third-World Women
6. Multiculturalism and/as Religious Freedom
a. Politics, Religion, and Free Speech
7. Critical Perspectives
a. What is the Logic of Intercultural Evaluation?
b. Case Studies in Food Identity
