La Decadència del multiculturalisme

Abstract

The debate on multiculturalism arose at the end of the nineteen sixties and since then it has evolved considerably. It was born of two main sources, one being specific to politics, and another, more theoretical and philosophical one. At the moment it obliges us to rethink the concepts of modernity and the legacy of the enlightened. Multiculturalism is an institutional response to existence, in the bosom of a nation state, of different specific cultural identities that seek public recognition. It has been attacked from two opposing fronts: it has been criticised for rejecting universal values and undermining the legacy related to the predominance of a single culture. In response, well-tempered multiculturalism heralds an effort for different cultural identities to be recognised and respected while also respecting universal values themselves. In spite of the challenge entailed in the increase of cultural identities, multiculturalism is ultimately associated with outmoded political conceptions and has major limitations. The space of cultural identities is often global, and the claims they have to make for recognition cannot be satisfied with responses from the nation state. Thus, multiculturalism becomes insufficient and unadapted, since the challenges it seeks to rise to are greater than the framework in which it was conceived, corresponding to the end of an epoch rather than a gateway to a new era.