Abstract
Abstract The last ten years have seen a remarkable upsurge in interest amongst political philosophers in the rights of ethnocultural groups within Western democracies. Joseph Raz's writings, particularly his article on ‘Multiculturalism: A Liberal Perspective’, have played an important role in this debate. This chapter presents an overview of the philosophical debate so far, and suggests how Raz's theory fits into the larger debate. There are three broad positions in the debate over multiculturalism or minority rights. The first position viewed multiculturalism as a form of, or application of, communitarianism. The second stage of the debate is related to the question: what is the possible scope for minority rights within liberal theory? The third stage views minority rights as a response to nation-building. This chapter also discusses the effect of nation-building on national minorities and immigrants as well as Raz's views on nationalism and nation-building.
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