Edited Books

Multiculturalism and Minority Rights in the Arab World
edited by Will Kymlicka and Eva Pföstl
(under contract with Oxford University Press).

International Approaches to Governing Ethnic Diversity
edited by Jane Boulden and Will Kymlicka
(under contract with Oxford University Press).

Rooted Cosmopolitanism: Canada and the World
edited by Will Kymlicka and Kathy Walker
UBC Press, 2012, 239 pp.

This volume examines the theory and practice of rooted cosmopolitanism, using Canada as a test case. Rooted cosmopolitanism is the view that our local roots our sense of attachment to particular places and communities - can help to facilitate and motivate cosmopolitan concerns for the well-being of distant strangers. This idea has a particular resonance in Canada, where it is a long-standing part of the national self-image that being a good Canadian includes being a good citizen of the world. Critics, however, argue that this self-image is mythical, and that love of country impedes people from fulfilling obligations of global justice. The essays in this volume explore the reality of rooted cosmopolitanism in Canada, examining how the sorts of local ties and identities that characterize contemporary Canadian society enable or impede cosmopolitan commitments in particular fields, such as immigration and refugee policy, multiculturalism, climate change, humanitarian intervention, and Quebec nationalism. Drawing upon a range of disciplines (political theory and philosophy, sociology, Canadian studies, and geography/environmental studies), the authors shed light on the nature and meaning of patriotism and national identity in Canada today, and its relationship to global commitments. The resulting analyses, written by some of the leading scholars in the field, provide original insight into the theory and practice of rooted cosmopolitanism in Canada, and the prospects for reconciling nationalism and cosmopolitanism in an increasingly globalized world. Table of Contents and more...

Identity Politics in the Public Realm: Bringing Institutions Back In
edited by Avigail Eisenberg and Will Kymlicka
UBC Press, 2011, 308 pp. (UBC Press Listing)

In an age of multiculturalism and identity politics, many minority groups seek some form of official recognition or public accommodation of their identity. But can public institutions accurately recognize or accommodate something as subjective and dynamic as "identity?" Are there coherent standards and fair procedures for responding to identity claims? In this book, Avigail Eisenberg and Will Kymlicka lead a distinguished team of scholars who explore state responses to identity claims worldwide. Their case studies focus on key issues where identity is central to public policy -- such as the construction of census categories, interpretation of antidiscrimination norms, and assessment of indigenous rights -- and assess the influence of democratization on the capacity of institutions to respond to group claims. By illuminating both the risks and opportunities of institutional responses to diversity, this volume shows that public institutions can either enhance or distort the benefits of identity politics. Much depends on the agency of citizens and the ability of institutions to adapt to success and failure. Table of contents and more...

The Broadview Anthology of Social and Political Thought
co-edited by Andrew Bailey, Samantha Brennan, Will Kymlicka, Jacob Levy, Alex Sager, and Clark Wolf.
Broadview Press, Peterborough, 2008, 2 vo. (Broadview Listing Vol. 1, Vol. 2)

This comprehensive [first] volume contains much of the important work in political and social philosophy from ancient times until the end of the nineteenth century. The anthology offers both depth and breadth in its selection of material by central figures, while also representing other currents of political thought. Thucydides, Seneca, and Cicero are included along with Plato and Aristotle; Al-Farabi, Marsilius of Padua, and de Pizan take their place alongside Augustine and Aquinas; Astell and Constant are presented in the company of Locke, Rousseau, and Wollstonecraft.

The second volume of this comprehensive anthology covers the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The anthology is broad ranging both in its selection of material by figures traditionally acknowledged as being of central importance, and in the material it presents by a range of other figures. The material in this volume is presented in three sections. The first, "Power and the State," includes selections by such figures as Goldman, Lenin, Weber, Schmitt, and Hayek. Among those included in the "Race, Gender, and Colonialism" section are de Beauvoir, Gandhi, Fanon, and Young. The third and by far the longest section, "Rights-Based Liberalism and its Critics," focuses on the many interrelated directions that social and political philosophy has taken since the publication of John Rawls's ground-breaking A Theory of Justice in 1971.

The Politics of Reconciliation in Multicultural Societies
edited by Will Kymlicka and Bashir Bashir
Oxford University Press, 2008, 245 pp. (OUP Listing)

Most countries around the world exhibit a long history of exclusion and discrimination directed against ethnic, racial, national, religious, or ideological groups....an original and promising research agenda which, in line with the editors’ intention, should inspire scholars to further research into the relationship between reconciliation and democratic inclusion.Ulrike Theuerkauf, Nations and Nationalism

In addition to other qualities of this excellent volume, the real beauty of this book is its composite diversity of perspectives… I strongly recommend the book to all those interested in issues of politics of reconciliation and more broadly in questions of diversity, democracy, and resolution of conflicts in multicultural societies Dragan Stanievski, Administrative Theory & Praxis The underlying justifications for these forms of exclusion have been increasingly discredited by the post-war human rights revolution, decolonization, and by contemporary norms of liberal-democratic constitutionalism, with their commitment to equal rights and non-discrimination. However, even as these older practices and ideologies of exclusion are discredited and repudiated, they continue to have enduring effects. The legacies of exclusion can still be seen in a wide range of social attitudes, cultural practices, economic and demographic patterns, and institutional rules that obstruct efforts to build genuinely inclusive societies of equal citizens. Finding ways to overcome this problem is a major challenge facing virtually every society around the world. This book focuses on two parallel intellectual and political movements that have arisen to address this challenge: the 'politics of reconciliation', with its focus on reparations, truth-telling and healing amongst former adversaries, and the 'politics of difference', with its focus on the recognition and empowerment of minorities in multicultural societies. Both the politics of reconciliation and the politics of difference are having a profound impact on the theory and practice of democracy around the world, but remarkably little has been written about the relationship between them. This book aims to fill that gap. Drawing on both theoretical analysis and case studies from around the world, the authors explore how the politics of reconciliation and the politics of difference often interact in mutually supportive ways, as reconciliation leads to more multicultural conceptions of citizenship. But there are also important ways in which the two may compete in their aims and methods. This book is the first attempt to systematically explore these areas of potential convergence and divergence. Table of contents and more...

The Globalization of Ethics: Religious and Secular Perspectives
edited by William M. Sullivan and Will Kymlicka
Cambridge University Press, 2007. 305 pp. (CUP Listing)

Sullivan and Kymlicka seek to provide an alternative to post-9/11 pessimism about the ability of serious ethical dialogue to resolve disagreements and conflict across national, religious, and cultural differences. It begins by acknowledging the gravity of the problem: on our tightly interconnected planet, entire populations look for moral guidance to a variety of religious and cultural traditions, and these often stiffen, rather than soften, opposing moral perceptions. This book is impressively conceived and beautifully organized June O’Connor, Journal of Ecumenical StudiesHow, then, to set minimal standards for the treatment of persons while developing moral bases for coexistence and cooperation across different ethical traditions? The Globalization of Ethics argues for a tempered optimism in approaching these questions. Its distinguished contributors report on some of the most globally influential traditions of ethical thought in order to identify the resources within each tradition for working toward consensus and accommodation among the ethical traditions that shape the contemporary world. Table of Contents and more...

Multiculturalism and the Welfare State: Recognition and Redistribution in Contemporary Democracies
edited by Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka
Oxford University Press, 2006, 424 pp. (OUP Listing)

In many Western democracies, ethnic and racial minorities have demanded, and sometimes achieved, greater recognition and accommodation of their identities. ...of great interest to ongoing philosophical debates surrounding recognition and redistribution…Fans of Kymlicka’s work will appreciate that this group share his gift for clarity and accessibility...Joshua Preiss, Ethics

The authors do what social scientists are meant to do: shoot down misconceptions and myths, propose hypotheses and provisional conclusions, while identifying questions for further research.Tony Fitzpatrick, Journal of Social PolicyThis is reflected in the adoption of multiculturalism policies for immigrant groups, the acceptance of territorial autonomy and language rights for national minorities, and the recognition of land claims and self-government rights for indigenous peoples. These claims for recognition have been controversial, in part because of fears that they make it more difficult to sustain a robust welfare state by eroding the interpersonal trust, social solidarity and political coalitions that sustain redistribution. Are these fears of a conflict between a "politics of recognition" and a "politics of redistribution" valid? This volume is the first systematic attempt to empirically test this question, using both cross-national statistical analyses of the relationships among diversity policies, public attitudes and the welfare state, and case studies of the recognition/ redistribution linkage in the political coalitions in particular countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, and in Latin America. These studies suggest that that there is no general or inherent tendency for recognition to undermine redistribution, and that the relationship between these two forms of politics can be supportive as well as competitive, depending on the context. These findings shed important light, not only on the nature and effects of multiculturalism, but also on wider debates about the social and political foundations of the welfare state, and indeed about our most basic concepts of citizenship and national identity. As a ground-breaking attempt to connect the literatures on multiculturalism and the welfare state, this volume will be of great interest to a wide range of scholars and practitioners who work on issues of ethnocultural diversity and social policy. Table of Contents and more...

Multiculturalism in Asia
edited by Will Kymlicka and Baogang He
Oxford University Press, 2005, 376 pp. (OUP Listing)

This volume explores the different ways that ethnic and religious diversity is conceptualized and debated in South and East Asia. In the first few decades following decolonization, talk of multiculturalism and pluralism was discouraged, as states attempted to consolidate themselves as unitary and homogenizing nation-states. Today, however, it is widely recognized that states in the region must come to terms with the enduring reality of ethnic and religious cleavages, and find new ways of accommodating and respecting diversity. As a result, many countries are now debating policies to accommodate minorities, including recognition of indigenous rights, minority language rights, consociational power-sharing, regional autonomy, and multination federalism. ...an articulate, thought-provoking look at one of the most ethnoculturally diverse regions of the world...Rachel Chung, Ethnic Conflict

...illuminating for normative political theorists, for students of comparative ethnicity and nationalism, and for specialists in Asian societies, cultures and statecrafts...John R. Clammer, Pacific AffairsThis is often described as a key ingredient in any process of democratization in the region. One manifestation of this new ethos is the growing rhetoric of 'multiculturalism', often imported from the West. And indeed Western models of minority rights have had an influence in many Asian countries, often promoted by international organizations. However, Asian societies also have their own traditions of peaceful coexistence amongst linguistic and religious groups. All of the major ethical and religious traditions in the region - from Confucian and Buddhist to Islamic and Hindu - have their own conceptions of tolerance, and their own recipes for sustaining unity amidst diversity. These traditions continue to shape people's beliefs and practices in the region. Even the distinctive conception of Marxism developed in the region provides an influential perspective on these issues not found in the West. The rhetoric of 'multiculturalism' may be ubiquitous around the world, but it is being used to express quite different ideas and norms. Using both case studies and thematic essays, this volume examines the pre-colonial traditions, colonial legacies, and post-colonial ideologies that influence contemporary debates on multiculturalism in the region. It explores the areas of convergence and divergence between these different perspectives, and the extent to which they provide viable frameworks for managing ethnic and religious diversity in the region. Table of Contents and more...

Ethnicity and Democracy in Africa
edited by Bruce Berman, Dickson Eyoh, and Will Kymlicka
James Currey Publishers and Ohio University Press, 2004, 352 pp. (Ohio Listing)

The politics of identity and ethnicity are resurgent. Civil society, whose revival was much vaunted, was riven by communal tensions particularly of ethnicity and religion. The contributors address questions such as: Why is ethnicity a political problem? How is the problem manifested? Which institutional models offer ways of ameliorating the challenges that ethnicity poses to democratic nation-building? Table of Contents and more...

Language Rights and Political Theory
edited by Will Kymlicka and Alan Patten
Oxford University Press, 2003, 364 pp. (OUP Listing)

Disputes over language policy are a persistent feature of the political life of many states around the world. Multilingual countries in the West such as Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Canada have long histories of conflict over language rights. In many countries in Eastern Europe and the Third World, efforts to construct common institutions and a shared identity have been severely complicated by linguistic diversity. Indigenous languages around the world are in danger of disappearing. Even in the United States, where English is widely accepted as the language of public life, the linguistic rights of Spanish-speakers are hotly-contested. ...likely to become a key reference in both teaching and scholarly debate...Daryl Glaser, Ethnopolitics

Anyone presently interested in working on language right in political theory should begin here...a masterful survey of the field...Chandran Kukathas, Perspectives on PoliticsNot surprisingly, therefore, political theorists have started to examine questions of language policy, and how they relate to broader issues of democracy, justice and rights. This volume provides the reader with an up-to-date overview of the emerging debates over the role of language rights and linguistic diversity within political theory. It brings together many of the leading political theorists who work in the field, together with some of the most important social scientists, with the aim of exploring how political theorists can conceptualize issues of language rights and contribute to public debates on language policy. Questions of language policy are not only of enormous political importance in many countries, but also help to illuminate some of the most important debates in contemporary political theory, including questions of citizenship, deliberative democracy, nationalism, multiculturalism, identity politics, group rights, the liberal-communitarian debate, and so on. The thirteen essays in this volume highlight both the empirical constraints and normative complexities of language policy, and identify the important challenges and opportunities that linguistic diversity raises for contemporary political theory. Table of Contents and more...

Can Liberal Pluralism be Exported? Western Political Theory and Ethnic Relations in Eastern Europe
edited by Will Kymlicka and Magda Opalski
Oxford University Press, 2002, 458 pp. (OUP Listing)
Translated into: Serbian, Italian, Romanian.

Many post-communist countries in Central/Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are being encouraged and indeed pressured by...an extremely important book...Stefan Wolff, Ethnopolitics

…an exciting venture in the field of applying normative ideas to an often refractory and complex social reality...John Schwartzmantel, Nations and Nationalism Western countries to improve their treatment of ethnic and national minorities, and to adopt Western models of minority rights. But what are these Western models, and will they work in Eastern Europe? In the first half of this volume, Will Kymlicka describes a model of 'liberal pluralism' which has gradually emerged in most Western democracies, and discusses what would be involved in adopting it in Eastern Europe. This is followed by 15 commentaries from people actively involved in minority rights issues in the region, as practitioners or academics, and by Kymlicka's reply. This volume will be of interest to anyone concerned with ethnic conflict in Eastern Europe, and with the more general question of whether Western liberal values can or should be promoted in the rest of the world. Table of Contents and more...

Alternative Conceptions of Civil Society
edited and introduced by Simone Chambers and Will Kymlicka
Princeton University Press, 2002, 272 pp. (Princeton Listing)

The idea of civil society has long been central to the Western...perhaps more than ever before there is a need for dialogue between the plurality of ethical traditions, both religious and secular. This book is a fine starting point for that dialogue...Brett Bowden, Australiam Journal of Political Science

...without exception the essays are eloquently written, interesting and thought-provoking… an engaging and stimulating collection...Shaun Young, Canadian Journal of Political Science liberal-democratic tradition, where it has been seen as a crucial site for the development and pursuit of basic liberal values such as individual freedom, social pluralism, and democratic citizenship. This book considers how a host of other ethical traditions define civil society. Unlike most studies of the subject, which focus on a particular region or tradition, it considers a range of ethical traditions rarely addressed in one volume: libertarianism, critical theory, feminism, liberal egalitarianism, natural law, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Confucianism. It considers the extent to which these traditions agree or disagree on how to define civil society's limits and how to evaluate its benefits and harms. An excellent starting point for a comparative ethics of civil society, this book concludes that while the concept of civil society originated in the liberal tradition, it is quickly becoming an important focus for a truly cross-cultural dialogue. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Michael Banner, Hasan Hanafi, Loren E. Lomasky, Richard Madsen, Michael A. Mosher, Michael Pakaluk, Anne Phillips, Adam B. Seligman, Suzanne Last Stone, and Michael Walzer. Table of contents and more...

Citizenship in Diverse Societies
edited by Will Kymlicka and Wayne Norman
Oxford University Press, 2000 456 pp. (OUP Listing)

Is it possible, in a modern, pluralistic society, to promote common bonds of citizenship while at the same time accommodating ...excellent collection…fourteen essays written by some of the best and most thought-provoking writers on this subject...Philip Parvin, Political Studies

...this high-quality collection should be read by anyone interested in the issue of multicultural citizenship...David Miller, American Political Science Reviewand showing respect for ethnocultural diversity? 'Citizenship' and 'diversity' have been two of the major topics of debate in both democratic politics and political theory over the past decade. Much has been written about the importance of citizenship, civic identities, and civic virtues for the functioning of liberal democracies, and the need to accommodate the ethnocultural, linguistic, and religious pluralism that is a fact of life in most modern states. By and large, however, these two topics have been largely discussed in mutual isolation. Much of the writing on the issues of both citizenship and diversity remains rather abstract and general and disconnected from the specific issues of public policy and institutional design. Citizenship in Diverse Societies examines the specific points of conflict and convergence between concerns for citizenship and diversity in democratic societies and reassesses and refines existing theories of 'diverse citizenship' by examining these theories in the light of actual practices and policies of pluralistic democracies. Table of Contents and more...

NOMOS 39: Ethnicity and Group Rights
edited by Ian Shapiro and Will Kymlicka
New York University Press, 1997, 640 pp.

Within Western political philosophy, the rights of groupsI still greet each new NOMOS volume with delight, and this one met its promise...Karen Rothkin, Social Theory and Practice

Cases pro and con are made with force, subtlety and clarity.... a timely and important contribution...John King, Law and Politics Book Review has often been neglected or addressed in only the narrowest fashion. Focusing solely on whether rights are exercised by individuals or groups misses what lies at the heart of ethnocultural conflict, leaving the crucial question unanswered: can the familiar system of common citizenship rights within liberal democracies sufficiently accommodate the legitimate interests of ethnic citizens. Specifically, how does membership in an ethnic group differ from other groups, such as professional, lifestyle, or advocacy groups? How important is ethnicity to personal identity and self-respect, and does accommodating these interests require more than standard citizenship rights? Crucially, what forms of ethnocultural accommodations are consistent with democratic equality, individual freedom, and political stability? Invoking numerous cases studies and addressing the issue of ethnicity from a range of perspectives, Ethnicity and Group Rights seeks to answer these questions. Table of Contents and more...

The Rights of Minority Cultures
edited by Will Kymlicka
Oxford University Press, 1995, 400 pp. (OUP Listing)

This volume collects together the most important contemporary articles on the rights of minority cultures. ...an essential resource...Tariq Modood, Political Quarterly

...a brilliant examination of the diverse issues involving ethnocultural and multicultural groups in our Western democracies...Subhas Ramcharan, Canadian Public PolicyWhile drawing on particular case studies, the articles focus on the more general theoretical and normative issues raised by the accommodation of cultural differences. The authors represented in this volume come from a variety of countries and disciplines, and reflect a wide range of opinion. The book explores the nature and value of cultural membership, models of cultural pluralism, individual and group rights, minority representation, immigration, and secession. A new and substantial essay by Will Kymlicka outlines the major issues and perspectives raised in the articles, and places them in the context of contemporary debates in political theory. The volume also includes a guide to further reading for students and researchers working in the field. Compiled by the leading political philosopher of his generation, Will Kymlicka's Rights of Minority Cultures will be of great interest to scholars of political theory, political philosophy, policy studies, ethnic studies, and law. Table of Contents and more...

Justice in Political Philosophy
edited by Will Kymlicka
Edward Elgar Publishing, 1992, 2vo., 1280 pp. (Edward Elgar Listing)

Justice in Political Philosophy focuses in particular on the wide range of positions and debates which have emerged since the publication of John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice in 1971. Each view is presented through a representative selection of the major articles by both its proponents and critics. The schools covered include utilitarianism, liberal egalitarianism, libertarianism and their Marxist, communitarian and feminist critics. The authors represented include such influential figures as Rawls, Nozick, Dworkin, Cohen, Gauthier, Harsanyi, Barry, Sandel, MacIntyre, Gilligan and Mackinnon. The editor's introduction explores the interrelations between these diverse theories and shows how there are considerable convergences as well as disagreements in the contemporary debates over justice.

Will Kymlicka, 2009