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UCL Mellon Programme: Identities and Culture in Europe since 1945

Seminar: 2 November 2005

Dr Andrea Baumeister Diversity and Unity The Problem with 'Constitutional Patriotism'

Abstract

Habermas claims that his version of discourse ethics can be reconciled with the struggle for recognition on the part of many groups traditionally marginalized in liberal democracies and that, properly understood, a liberal theory of rights is not blind to cultural difference. One of the key concepts that informs Habermas' response to questions of cultural diversity is his notion of 'constitutional patriotism' (Verfassungspatriotismus). While Habermas acknowledges that all constitutional states are ethically patterned, he stresses the importance of decoupling the majority culture from the wider political culture. Thus Habermas distinguishes between the civic sense of a nation based upon the common civic identity of a group of citizens and the particular ethical discourses of specific sub-cultures. On Habermas' account, democratic citizenship does not require that citizens share the same language or the same ethical and cultural origins. On the contrary, citizens need only be socialised into a common political culture based upon standard liberal constitutional principles. According to Habermas, this common political culture provides the basis for a constitutional patriotism that leads to an increased awareness of both the diversity and the integrity of the different ways of life that coexist in a multicultural society and allows citizens to debate the same legal principles from different ethical perspectives. This paper argues that Habermas not only underestimates the difficulties inherent in any attempt to decouple the majority culture from the wider political culture, but that his notion of 'constitutional patriotism' entails a more substantive commitment to liberal values than Habermas acknowledges. While Habermas paints an optimistic picture of the potential for cultural accommodation with in Europe, the political realm in existing nation states has already been shaped in ways that make it difficult for many immigrant communities in Europe to obtain recognition. These difficulties are reinforced by the tensions inherent in the very idea of constitutional patriotism. If constitutional patriotism is to generate the sense of loyalty and commitment to the state that are widely recognised as important hallmarks of political stability, it must be underpinned by a genuine commitment to the liberal political culture that informs it. It is therefore not surprising that for Habermas individual autonomy provides the rationale for and sets the limits to cultural recognition. Yet, this emphasis on individual autonomy sets real limits to the degree of diversity that Habermas' model can accommodate. The paper concludes that ultimately Habermas' goal of building a common political culture underestimates the challenges that cultural diversity poses to the idea of a shared collective identity and political consensus.

This page last modified 8 February, 2012 by UCL Mellon Admin