Collective Rights in Multi-Nation States: From Ethical Individualism to the Law of Peoples

Abstract

A discussion of whether ethical individualism provides the proper framework for a liberal theory of collective rights maintains that a politics of recognition toward component nations is a requirement for the viability of multi-nation states. The tendency of liberal philosophers to overlook the close relationship between liberalism & the traditional nation-state has led them to argue against a politics of recognition while simultaneously arguing for the integration of some nations into multi-nation states. The link between liberalism & the nation-state is explored, along with its foundation in ethical individualism, & Will Kymlicka's (1989) theory of group-differentiated rights. Although Kymlicka correctly contends that liberal philosophers must acknowledge the collective rights of "societal cultures," he misunderstands the importance of the cultural diversity argument. In addition, his assertion that the only way to integrate liberalism & collective rights is by emphasizing their compatibility with ethical individualism is misleading. Suggestions are made for an alternative liberal theory of collective rights capable of providing a foundation for an effective law of peoples. 21 References. J. Lindroth