Abstract

Almost all countries around the world face problems managing differences in their public sphere. Given the multiculturality of the majority of contemporary societies, this management takes two routes; either the differences are confined into the private sphere and there is an insistence on ways the society can be kept united, or the differences are brought into the public sphere, and the society is then made up of groups, each fighting for its recognition. Multiculturalism takes the second route and advances two arguments: the claim for authenticity and the claim for recognition. This paper evaluates the consistency of these arguments with the sustainability of the State. We argue that the arguments advanced by multiculturalism are not convincing and rather lead to the fragmentation of the state. Finally, we sketch the type of education that can help to handle the question of differences without turning individuals and groups into islands.