Cultural diversity and globaltity
The paper is aimed to present a concept of globalization in the of contemporary discourse of cultural diversity. It is argued here that the conditions of contemporary multiethnic and multicultural world do not require any unification in the form of universalistic globalization, but instead the development of modern globalization process in form of cultural diversity. In most recent theoretical debates, depending on the character of the process of globalization (homogeneous or fragmentary), two trends of investigation of this process arise: (i) globalization on the basis of the idea of progress which leads to a homogeneous world (universalism); (ii) globalization on the basis of representation of the world's real diversity (multiculturalism). Theorists of globalization stress the fact that an economic-homogenization paradigm is becoming powerful in both academic and popular usage. They then focus their attention on the increased integration of the global economy and its homogenizing effects on state policy and culture. As for homogeneous (i.e. universalistic) discussions, the tendency for many issues to assume apposite values -on the segment comprising comparative version of globalization or elite version globalization - arise. Multicultural concepts of globalization, based on the recognition of the world real diversity, are popular because of their non-repressive and tolerant form. Appraisals of multiculturalism as an intellectual trend, which could be evaluated as a core of recent multi-globalization process, are controversial (as for example in the works by J.Searle, R.Rorty, Ch. Taylor) The main problem about the interpretation of contemporary globalization process as multicultural globalization is investigated in this paper by means of the analysis of the change of modern values of European culture and philosophy. Relevant discussions here are centred on the reinterpretation of the classical philosophical paradigm, concerned with reevaluation of the relation of the main philosophical categories; subject and object. Interpretation of the subject has been changed in contemporary philosophical discourse of the following directions: (i) weakness of the opposition of subject and object; (ii) interpretation of the subject in terms of the death of author (term by R.Bart); (iii) interpretation of subject in the context of cultural diversity (in terms of female philosophy, whiteness, blackness, etc). Paper then put into focus change of the main values of European culture and philosophy: rationality, liberalism, individualism. Rationality, liberalism, individualism loose their classical form and replaced by diverse, pluralistic, flexible values. Change of the main values of European culture influence greately on the character of contemporary globalization process, which develops in the direction of the appreciation of the world real diversity. Interpretations of multicultural are based on the multiculturalism as trend of contemporary philosophical and political discourse. Multiculturalism is closely associated with identity politics, the politics of difference and the politics of recognition, all of which share a commitment to revaluing disrespected identities and changing dominant patterns of representation and communication that marginalize certain groups. Multicultural claims include a wide range of claims involving religion, language, ethnicity, nationality and race. Culture is overbroad concept, and all of these categories have been subsumed by the concept of culture. The paper presents the interpretation of multicultural globalization on the base some theoretical ideas of multiculturalism. The main trend of multicultural globalization embrace the concept of cultural diversity. Diverse cultural identities and languages are irreducibly social and cultural goods, which should be presumed to be of the equal worth. The recognition of the equal worth of diverse cultures requires replacing the traditional liberal regime of identical liberties and opportunities for all citizens with a scheme of special rights for minority cultural groups. Culture is to be instrumentally valuable to individuals, for two reasons. First, it enables individual authonomy. Second, culture is instrumentally valuable for individual self-respect. As final remark, we think that within the boundaries of multicultural type of globalization, a new democratic politics permitting a dialogue for distinct cultural and religious groups and the ground for their consensus could be achieved.