EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
In multicultural societies, the ideals of equality and liberty are deeply intertwined—but not always easily reconciled. While liberty emphasizes individual freedom, equality demands fairness and inclusion across diverse cultural groups. The challenge lies in ensuring that both values are upheld without allowing one to undermine the other.
Will Kymlicka’s Perspective
Will Kymlicka, a leading theorist of multicultural citizenship, argues that liberalism must evolve to accommodate cultural diversity. He critiques traditional liberalism for being “color-blind,” assuming that equal rights for all individuals are sufficient to ensure justice. However, Kymlicka contends that this approach ignores the structural disadvantages faced by minority cultures, whose members often lack access to the cultural resources that shape meaningful life choices.
Bhikhu Parekh’s Perspective
Bhikhu Parekh offers a complementary yet critical lens. He emphasizes that human beings are culturally embedded, and that liberalism often fails to recognize the moral significance of cultural diversity.
The Delicate Balance
Both thinkers highlight that in multicultural societies:
The solution lies in rethinking liberal principles to accommodate pluralism, where both individual rights and group identities are respected. This means crafting policies that:
In essence, Kymlicka and Parekh remind us that true equality and liberty in multicultural societies require more than abstract ideals—they demand a commitment to justice that is both inclusive and contextually aware.
General Studies Political Science and International Relations
IAS GOOGLE is googled by the team of Raja Sir’s Cracking IAS Academy. Sources include The Hindu, Indian Express, pib.nic.in, Down To Earth, Economic Times, Vigyan Prasar, AIR and the like. IAS GOOGLE has been prepared in pace with emerging UPSC Trends.
Latest Latest Updates