Rethinking multiculturalism : cultural diversity and political theory

Multiculturalism has become a central feature of social and political life in the contemporary world, raising profound and novel challenges for theory and policy which, argues Bhikhu Parekh, the traditions that have dominated Western political thought for centuries are ill-equipped to address.

In this important new book Parekh develops a new approach that places at centre stage the dialectical interplay between shared humanity and its cultural mediation. Providing a wealth of examples from a wide range of contexts, he uses this approach to establish the positive value of cultural diversity, to provide new principles of justice and equality for a multicultural society, and to outline a framework within which it can deal with minority practices that offend against its values.
The book was originally intended as a short introduction to multi culturalism and part of the excellent series edited by Peter Jones and Albert Weale. I am grateful to them from releasing me from that com mitment and generously allowing it to be published independently. Steven Kennedy has borne with its slow progress with an exemplary blend of patience and pressure, and no author could have wished for a better editor. Michael Aronson at Harvard University Press was most encouraging and I am grateful to him for many valuable suggestions. I thank Amalendu Misra for his useful comments and irreplaceable help with the typing and other matters relating to the preparation of the text.