Philosophy and World Religions Research Colloquium, David Weinfeld, "From Cultural Pluralism to Multiculturalism: Race, Religion, and American Jews"

​Cultural pluralism, the intellectual precursor to multiculturalism, emerged from the friendship of two American philosophers, Jewish immigrant Horace Kallen (1882-1974) and African-American Alain Locke (1885-1954). This simple idea—that ethnic groups can and should coexist in the United States, perpetuating their cultures for the betterment of the country as whole. For both men, friendship served as a metaphor for cultural pluralism, exemplified by people who found common ground while appreciating each other's differences. Kallen and Locke distinguished culture from religion: the latter was universal and individualistic, whereas the former was secular, particular, and communal. This division distinguishes their vision of cultural pluralism from modern multiculturalism, which is more amenable to religious diversity. This talk shows how their unique understanding of friendship, culture, and religion offers a new vision for diverse societies across the globe and provides critical background for understanding conflicts over identity politics that polarize US society today.