Liberal Multiculturalism versus Diversity

Karl Polanyi described the crisis of his time in terms of a “double movement,” in which the rise of the self-regulating market was counterpointed by a protectionist movement of its losers. Updating Polanyi, Nancy Fraser argued that the current crisis is better conceptualized as a “triple movement,” with “emancipation” as a “third political project,” separate from “marketization” and “social protection.” This paper examines significant variation under the emancipation umbrella. In particular, I contrast liberal multiculturalism, as canonized by Will Kymlicka, with diversity, which has taken both neoliberal and illiberal directions.