當代自由主義談容忍

Abstract

本文將從「如何對待差異」這個當代政治哲學面對的重要問題切入，介紹並討論自由主義和多元文化論的論辯。談論到的自由主義大致上包括羅爾斯(John Rawls)前期的《正義論》(A Theory of Justice)、後期的《政治自由主義》(Political Liberalism)以及蓋爾斯敦(William A. Galston)的差異性原則(the principle of diversity)和秦力克(Will Kymlicka)的自主性原則(the principle of autonomy)；多元文化論則以楊(Iris Marion Young)的差異政治(the politics of difference)以及泰勒(Charles Taylor)的肯認政治(the politics of recognition)為討論主軸。文章最後關注在其中一位自由主義學者庫克瑟斯(Chandran Kukathas)的理論上。相較於其他政治哲學學者，他的特殊之處在於提倡容忍(toleration)，並把容忍原則的地位擺在傳統任何自由主義的原則之上，主張我們應該盡可能地包容越多的差異越好。本文也嘗試進一步探究該主張是否合理。

This thesis tries to present the debate between modern liberals concerning the issue on toleration, which is significant in modern political philosophy. At the very beginning, I introduce the basic ideas of John Rawls’s theory (includes his A Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism) as the representative of modern liberalism. Then I discuss the problems of difference and cultural diversity raised by multiculturalists, such as Iris Marion Young (the politics of difference) and Charles Taylor (the politics of recognition). Several liberals respond this challenge in different ways. Those who involve in this debate are Willliam A. Galston, Will Kymlicka, and Chandran Kukathas. I focus much more on Kukathas. After considering his theory, I suggest that Kukathas deals with the issues more successfully than the other two.