CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2008
| Author | Placani, Adriana |
|---|---|
| Title | Political Theory and Minority Groups: An Assessment of Liberalism's Commitments |
| Summary | The thesis assesses the legitimacy of liberal political theory relative to two major theoretical features that it advances: consent theory and neutrality. The essay considers these two constituent traits in light of protections, restrictions, and accommodations made for minority groups. The primary objective of this work is to illustrate both how and why liberal political theory is compromised by its focus on the individual, and more specifically political obligation and neutrality. I counter the fundamentally liberal conception of the individual, which is understood as an autonomous being characterized by individual freedom. Individual freedom involves two major claims: (1) freedom from coercion, interpreted in my paper as a commitment made by individuals to obey the laws of the state and thereby act freely from coercive state measures; and (2) moral self-determination, based on an individual’s right to pursue his or her well-being. The liberal commitment to the individual seems to make consent a workable means of acceptance of the state; however, consent theories prove generally unfeasible, but specifically for minority groups. Consent theory is analyzed into three types (i.e., actual/express, tacit, and hypothetical). The second source of criticism, neutrality, is sometimes offered by liberal political theorists as a way to resolve the dilemmas of consent, as well as the deep conflicts in pluralist societies by various groups. I review and assess John Rawls’ formulation of neutrality in most depth. As conceived by liberal political theory, consent and neutrality necessitate reconsideration because of the absence of provisions for minority groups. My thesis reveals that in order for liberal political theory to succeed in its claims of universality and fundamental rights, it must properly address the position of minority groups within society. |
| Supervisor | Professor Zoltán Miklósi |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2008/placani_adriana.pdf |
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