Is There a Canadian Philosophy?: Reflections on the Canadian IdentityIs There a Canadian Philosophy? addresses the themes of community, culture, national identity, and universal human rights, taking the Canadian example as its focus. The authors argue that nations compelled to cope with increasing demands for group recognition may do so in a broadly liberal spirit and without succumbing to the dangers associated with an illiberal, adversarial multiculturalism. They identify and describe a Canadian civic philosophy and attempt to show how this modus operandi of Canadian public life is capable of reconciling questions of collective identity and recognition with a commitment to individual rights and related principles of liberal democracy. They further argue that this philosophy can serve as a model for nations around the world faced with internal complexities and growing demands for recognition from populations more diverse than at any previous time in their histories. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
1995 Quebec referendum aboriginal American Amy Gutmann Appadurai Appiah argues attempt Cambridge Cana Canadian philosophy Chapter citizenship civic civil society collective identity collective rights communitarian constitutional context continue coordination Critical democratic culture dispersed knowledge diversity diZerega economic emerge ends equal ethnic existing extended order fact federal French Geertz global group rights guardian syndrome Gutmann Habermas Havel Hayek hermeneutical Howard human rights ibid identity community identity politics immigrants individual rights institutions issue Kymlicka language liberal democracy Lloyd Axworthy Madison means membership ment minority cultures moral multiculturalism mutual nation-state nationalist Nisga'a observes options Oxford particular persons philoso philosophy in Canada pluralism Politics of Recognition postmodern practice principles provinces Quebec question RCAP recognize regions respect Royal Commission 1996 seek sense social sovereignty spontaneous order status survival syndrome Taylor theory tion Toronto traditional treaty University Press values York