Democracy and cultural diversity

Abstract

Through the Latin saying Hic rhodus hic saltus, mentioned in the preface of his Philosophy of Right, Hegel intended to emphasise that it is Philosophy’s duty to study what is real, rather than what ought to be. During the 60’s of the 20th century, what was real was, as far as British Cultural Studies were concerned, the cultural revolution ongoing since the end of the II World War, which made critical the study of such issues as the relationship between culture and power, popular culture and mass culture, cultural homogeneity and cultural diversity. The considerations on these issues produced by cultural studies’ authors – British and otherwise – remain crucial today, perhaps more so than ever. Setting the work carried through by cultural studies in the domain of culture, this paper aims to reflect upon the condition of a democracy that respects plurality and cultural differences, not only at national state level – presently undergoing deep changes – but also at a global level. In order to do so, we will somewhat anachronistically move beyond Hegel and his tethering to the real by returning to Kant and his ideal for a cosmopolitan society.