Solidarity and Particularity: E Pluribus Unum? Group Rights and the Politics of Fear and Trust

Hagar: Studies in Culture, Polity, and Identities, Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 137, 2005

12 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2006

See all articles by David Abraham

David Abraham

University of Miami - School of Law

Abstract

Even ethnically plural societies require a unum in order to have a state able to keep the peace, allow and protect freedom, encourage participation and belonging, and extract and redistribute resources. That redistribution is needed to improve the chances for fairness and justice for individuals. Group rights and federalist devolution are dangerous paths on which to embark as they threaten to preclude toleration, trust, and solidarity among compatriots. But no one will embrace a unum from which s/he is excluded. In societies with too much history and too much memory, the creation of a unum may be unsuccessful, leaving separation as the alternative to federalism.

Keywords: Citizenship, groups, solidarity, particularity, federalism, muticulturalism

JEL Classification: K1, K10, K11, K3, K30, K31

Suggested Citation

Abraham, David, Solidarity and Particularity: E Pluribus Unum? Group Rights and the Politics of Fear and Trust. Hagar: Studies in Culture, Polity, and Identities, Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 137, 2005, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=886942

David Abraham (Contact Author)

University of Miami - School of Law ( email )

1311 Miller Dr
Coral Gables, FL 33146
United States
305-284-5535 (Phone)
305-284-1588 (Fax)

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
116
Abstract Views
1,037
Rank
393,942
PlumX Metrics