Culture and Diversity in John Stuart Mill's Civic Nation

Abstract

In this article, I develop a conception of multiculturalism that is compatible with Mill's liberal framework. I argue, drawing from Mill's conception of the nation-state, that he would expect cultural minorities to assimilate fully into the political sphere of the dominant culture, but to assimilate only minimally, if at all, into the cultural sphere. I also argue that while Mill cannot permit cultural accommodations in the form of self-government rights, he would allow for certain accommodation rights (construed as individual rights) which assist cultural minorities in preserving their cultural particularity. While this is indeed a modest multiculturalism, it helps to demonstrate that Mill was not as hostile towards custom or minority groups as certain passages may appear to suggest.

Mill and Acton on liberty, nationality and multinational states

“…Although some might think that ‘nationality’ is also like ‘felony’ in terms of admitting a purely legal definition, Mill's definitional conditions construe it as a social phenomenon that can exist without recognition in positive law (see also cf. Tyndal, 2013, pp. 101–102; Varouxakis, 1997, p. 75; ).…”