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68
choice itself would be perceived as ethnocentric by communitarians. This does not alter the fact that coercion is involved in the transmission of culture from generation to generation.3
The other point is that almost any ethnocultural group identity is constructed on the idea of some self-delusional sense of superiority. In Chapter 1, I stated that a truth claim is a source of religious intolerance. A similar cultural claim: "this is the best way of life" underlies the idea of ethnocultural identity. This would be true of most traditional communities. Historically there have been oppressed minorities, and in recent times, minorities in search of emancipation have also leaned on the idea that there is something special about belonging to their own particular group. This is understandable, but does not alter the fact that such a claim exists and this too is a potential source of intolerance. The idea of being superior or special by virtue of "belonging" to an ethnocultural or religious group is one that is fraught with certain dangers. I shall discuss these two aspects of ethnoculturalism more fully when I present my argument based on homogenization.
My argument in this chapter has four steps. In Section I, I lay out my theory of human nature, based largely on the writings of the English philosopher of evolutionary ethics, Mary Midgley, the Russian evolutionist Peter Kropotkin and the early writings of Karl Marx. In Section II, I show how globalization makes us interdependent in a way that transcends cultural differences. I then pull together the different strands of the argument and suggest that the strains of pluralism may be eased through this interdependence. The interdependence constitutes a necessary
Object Description
| Title | Negotiating pluralism and tribalism in liberal democratic societies |
| Author | Sadagopan, Shoba |
| Author email | sadagopa@usc.edu; shobasadagopan@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Philosophy |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2008-08-22 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2008-10-15 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Lloyd, Sharon |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Dreher, John Keating, Gregory |
| Abstract | My aim in this dissertation is to enquire whether toleration as a practice is achievable. It is prior to the question of how it can be grounded as a virtue. I argue that in liberal democratic societies where there are struggles for recognition on the part of ethnocultural groups, it is possible to negotiate pluralism and tribalism in a way that a stable pluralist society can be maintained. My core thesis rests on a theory of interdependence based both on a theory of human nature and on the material fact of globalization. Insofar as we affirm our nature as human beings engaged in productive activity with other human beings, insofar as we value a world that facilitates that activity, toleration is desirable. It is achievable because with globalization there is a tendency towards homogenization that erodes cultural differences. There is less reason for conflict because what we have in common, our interdependence, goes far deeper than culture. A further sufficient condition may be found in well thought-out policies that are executed through education and dialogue. |
| Keyword | toleration; value pluralism; liberalism; cultural homogenization; globalization; common citizenship |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1658 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Sadagopan, Shoba |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Sadagopan-2395 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume26/etd-Sadagopan-2395.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 71 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 68 choice itself would be perceived as ethnocentric by communitarians. This does not alter the fact that coercion is involved in the transmission of culture from generation to generation.3 The other point is that almost any ethnocultural group identity is constructed on the idea of some self-delusional sense of superiority. In Chapter 1, I stated that a truth claim is a source of religious intolerance. A similar cultural claim: "this is the best way of life" underlies the idea of ethnocultural identity. This would be true of most traditional communities. Historically there have been oppressed minorities, and in recent times, minorities in search of emancipation have also leaned on the idea that there is something special about belonging to their own particular group. This is understandable, but does not alter the fact that such a claim exists and this too is a potential source of intolerance. The idea of being superior or special by virtue of "belonging" to an ethnocultural or religious group is one that is fraught with certain dangers. I shall discuss these two aspects of ethnoculturalism more fully when I present my argument based on homogenization. My argument in this chapter has four steps. In Section I, I lay out my theory of human nature, based largely on the writings of the English philosopher of evolutionary ethics, Mary Midgley, the Russian evolutionist Peter Kropotkin and the early writings of Karl Marx. In Section II, I show how globalization makes us interdependent in a way that transcends cultural differences. I then pull together the different strands of the argument and suggest that the strains of pluralism may be eased through this interdependence. The interdependence constitutes a necessary |
