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Single Idea 23413

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / b. Against communitarianism ]

Full Idea

Communitarians say that some of our social roles must be regarded as fixed when planning our lives, …but the women's movement has shown how deeply entrenched social roles can be questioned and rejected.

Gist of Idea

Feminism has shown that social roles are far from fixed (as communitarians tend to see them)

Source

Will Kymlicka (Community [1993], 'Embedded')

Book Ref

'A Companion to Contemporary Political Phil', ed/tr. Goodin,R.E/Pettit,Philip [Blackwell 1995], p.370


A Reaction

True, but parents walking out on young children also shows that. The ideal must be some sort of balance.


The 13 ideas with the same theme [reasons against over-emphasis of community]:

Kierkegaard prioritises the inward individual, rather than community [Kierkegaard, by Carlisle]
Our reliance on other people close to us does not imply any political obligations [Taylor,C]
In a pluralist society we can't expect a community united around one conception of the good [Rawls]
Feminism has shown that social roles are far from fixed (as communitarians tend to see them) [Kymlicka]
Communitarianism struggles with excluded marginalised groups [Kymlicka]
Participation aids the quest for the good life, but why should that be a state activity? [Kymlicka]
Communitarian states only encourage fairly orthodox ideas of the good life [Kymlicka]
If our values are given to us by society then we have no grounds to criticise them [Avineri/De-Shalit]
I can't defend the view that the majority values of a community are thereby right [Sandel]
Membership and inclusion in a community implies non-membership and exclusion [Swift]
Liberals are concerned to protect individuals from too much community [Swift]
For communitarians it seems that you must accept the culture you are born into [Charvet]
Community is now a nostalgic memory, which no longer exists [Berardi]