Product Description

All major western countries today contain groups that differ in their religious beliefs, customary practices or ideas about the right way in which to live. How should public policy respond to this diversity? In this important new work, Brian Barry challenges the currently orthodox answer and develops a powerful restatement of an egalitarian liberalism for the twenty–first century.


Until recently it was assumed without much question that cultural diversity could best be accommodated by leaving cultural minorities free to associate in pursuit of their distinctive ends within the limits imposed by a common framework of laws. This solution is rejected by an influential school of political theorists, among whom some of the best known are William Galston, Will Kymlicka, Bhikhu Parekh, Charles Taylor and Iris Marion Young. According to them, this ′difference–blind′ conception of liberal equality fails to deliver either liberty or equal treatment. In its place, they propose that the state should ′recognize′ group identities, by granting groups exemptions from certain laws, publicly ′affirming′ their value, and by providing them with special privileges or subsidies.


In Culture and Equality, Barry offers an incisive critique of these arguments and suggests that theorists of multiculturism tend to misdiagnose the problems of minority groups. Often, these are not rooted in culture, and multiculturalist policies may actually stand in the way of universalistic measures that would be genuinely beneficial.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103595 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 399 pages

Review
′Defenders of multiculturalism are called to task by the esteemed political philosopher Brian Barry in this critique of the "politics of difference". Barry argues that multiculturalist policies do not advance the values of liberty and equality but foster strident nationalism by focusing on what divides people at the expense of what unites them...′ Audrey Stratham, Scotland on Sunday

′Brian Barry, in [his] recent and controversial work on multiculturalism ... argues that contemporary multicultural practice, which stresses the rights and separateness of ethnic minority and other communities within nation states, harms those governments that are most committed to the provision of greater social justice – the central plank of new Labour.′ John Lloyd, New Statesman

′A liberal, Robert Frost wrote, is someone who can′t take his own side in an argument. The goal of Culture and Equality is to free liberals of their disabling scruples and in particular those deriving from those currently prevalent ideas that are variously called "multiculturalism" or the politics of "difference" or "recognition" or "identity" ... a defender of liberal principles who seeks confidently to take his own side in an argument must also be on the lookout for ideas and arguments that challenge their basis. Barry meets such challenges with assertion.′ Times Literary Supplement

′In this robust, clear–headed and wide–ranging assault on the contemporary multiculturalist debate in political theory Barry takes few prisoners. He exposes much cant, wooly mindedness and confusion. He treads on many toes and makes few apologies, yet this is a deeply serious and important book.′ European Sociological Review

′This is one of the most important books that I have read on the question of multiculturalism ... a very well–balanced book and one, which I would hope, will transform the debate about multiculturalism and equality.′ Innovation – The European Journal of Social Science Research

′It is a trenchant, robust, vigorously and rigorously argued counterblast in the name of liberal egalitarianism against those, especially fellow egalitarian liberals, who defend the politics of multiculturalism. ... No short review can do full justice to the richness of Barry′s book. It combines erudition, unabashed defence of liberalism, a passion for the point of liberal politics, and a finely tuned sensitivity to the idiocies of simple–minded multiculturalist apologetics. There are excellent discussions of, inter alia, education, "culture", the costs of group membership, and the free exercise of religion. David Archard, Contemporary Political Theory

"This is an important and stimulating book that deserves to be pondered deeply." Andrew Wright, Studies in Philosophy and Education

The Times Literary Supplement
The goal of Culture and Equality is to free liberals of their disabling scruples.

From the Back Cover
All major western countries today contain groups that differ in their religious beliefs, customary practices or ideas about the right way in which to live. How should public policy respond to this diversity? In this important new work, Brian Barry challenges the currently orthodox answer and develops a powerful restatement of an egalitarian liberalism for the twenty–first century.

Until recently it was assumed without much question that cultural diversity could best be accommodated by leaving cultural minorities free to associate in pursuit of their distinctive ends within the limits imposed by a common framework of laws. This solution is rejected by an influential school of political theorists, among whom some of the best known are William Galston, Will Kymlicka, Bhikhu Parekh, Charles Taylor and Iris Marion Young. According to them, this ′difference–blind′ conception of liberal equality fails to deliver either liberty or equal treatment. In its place, they propose that the state should ′recognize′ group identities, by granting groups exemptions from certain laws, publicly ′affirming′ their value, and by providing them with special privileges or subsidies.

In Culture and Equality, Barry offers an incisive critique of these arguments and suggests that theorists of multiculturism tend to misdiagnose the problems of minority groups. Often, these are not rooted in culture, and multiculturalist policies may actually stand in the way of universalistic measures that would be genuinely beneficial.

Customer Reviews

A polemical critique of multiculturalism
One gets the impression, on a first reading of this book, that multiculturalism is either an illiberal right-wing conspiracy, an in-egalitarian manifestation of the cultural logic of multinational capitalism, or a nonsensical vision of postmodern relativists: or perhaps some sinister combination of all three. And that Barry is a lone liberal voice in the wilderness.

There is an oddly aggressive rejection of multiculturalism per se that hides the diversity within multicultural theory, and also the commonality between certain of Barry's claims and those of certain multicultural theorists. In other words this is a polemical piece of writing. It serves as a warning against the worst potential excess of multiculturalism and offers a trenchant defence of an egalitarian liberalism. Both of these are worthy projects, and ones Barry carries of with conviction. But what gets swept aside in the process is the possibility of a more nuanced consideration of the complex array of issues currently being debated amongst multicultural theorists, and also the possibility of defending a liberal multiculturalism against other less liberal forms of multicultural theory and practice.

Barry focuses on two distinct, and distinctly worrying, new political trends. The first is that there is a new spectre now haunting Europe, 'one of strident nationalism, ethnic self-assertion and the exaltation of what divides people at the expense of what unites them.' The second is the massive expansion of material inequality and the collapse of public services. These trends find their counterpart in the 'world of ideas', where there is also a third worrying trend: with the demise of Marxism, which generated a universalist perspective that liberals had to engage with, there has been an embrace of relativism and postmodernism rather than a universalistic egalitarianism. In short, Barry presents us with three contemporary evils: identity politics, economic inequality and moral relativism. Multicultural theory, Barry argues, is dangerous and wrong precisely because it embodies and promotes these evils.

This is a polemical book, which makes it both compelling and frustrating. For example Barry tells us that: 'Much of what Tully has to say about modern constitutionalism is a travesty.' (ch1, p.17) but we do not get any indication of why this might be the case, so we are not able to evaluate the claim. We are told that John Gray offers a 'gross caricature which is not worth engaging with (fn.37); that Tariq Modood, has written 'a piece of nonsense' and so on. In other words anyone held to be in the multicultural, rather than the liberal camp, are given harsh treatment. But the polemical approach not only colours the language, it also structures the book.

Barry undermines his own case by failing to be insufficiently attuned to differences within multicultural theory. Perhaps this 'blindness' arises from something other than rhetorical style: perhaps it is symptomatic of his form of liberalism. His uniform rejection of multiculturalism, his cavalier representation of all multicultural theorists as basically the same and basically wrong, his inattention to the diversity amongst these theorists: are these not precisely the traits that lead some to label liberalism as 'difference-blind'? Maybe Barry could be more sensitive to the hybridity amongst multiculturalists than he is. I would suggest that a more dialogical approach to justice, and a more open attitude to otherness, would be beneficial to Barry's case.

Vintage Barry
This is a polemic book in the very sense of the word. Barry vigorously dissects multicultural theories, his argument is sound and, as noted elsewhere, carefully constructed. However (t)his straightforwardness leaves him open to accusations of "difference-blindness" among various strands of multicultural thought (which he's likely to reject in a style similar to this book).

Although you might not entirely agree with his conclusions, Barry offers an insightful account of the weaker points of multiculturalism. If nothing more, this book will help you stay on the ground and evaluate critically the multicultural "hype".

An excellent read from a tough-love liberal
Brian Barry writes with passion and an acerbic wit that is both engaging and thought provoking. With clear and solidly constructed argument he looks behind the worst of multi-culturalist fashion to show the flaws. This is a book that provokes thought and is highly recommended