A society that is composed of groups
which are different from one another in
their language, and/or culture, and/or
religion, and/or national identity.
 In a pluralistic society there is no
consensus concerning the values that
determine how one should behave in
order to be considered as a good
citizen.

a liberal democratic society is the most
tolerant political system concerning
diversity.
 There are some virtues which are
required in a liberal democracy.

1. liberal virtues:
 a. a justice instinct.
 b. a public spirit (a public
reasonableness).
 c. civility.
 2. a common identity.

,‫ יובל‬.‫ י‬,‫ מנוחין‬.‫ י‬:‫ בתוך‬,"‫ "דילמות של חינוך לאזרחות בדמוקרטיות פלורליסטיות‬,)2005( .‫ ו‬,‫ קימליקה‬
.56-37 :‫ ירושלים‬,‫ מאגנס‬,‫ האם הסובלנות תנצח? חינוך מוסרי בעולם מגוון‬,)‫(עורכים‬

Kymlicka, W. (2003), "Two Dilemmas of Citizenship Education in Pluralistic
Societies", A. Lockyer, B. Crick, J. Annette (eds.), Education for Democratic
Citizenship, Ashgate: 47- 63.

Macedo, S. (1990), Liberal Virtues: Citizenship, Virtue and Community, Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
The best way for developing the liberal
virtues is by common heterogeneous
schools.
 Conservative religious groups often feel
threatened
by
heterogeneous
education that increases the interaction
and acquaintance with members of
different groups and hence the
likelihood that individuals will learn and
adopt new ways of life.

Most Western democracies generally
accept the demand to establish
separate schools. Even if they claim to
enforce the liberal virtues through
mandatory common curriculum they do
not actively monitor whether these
virtues are being thought.
 This strategy reflects the “liberal wager”
(Kymlicka
2003);
the
hope
and
expectation that a liberal democracy
has a “gravitational pull” that draw
illiberal groups into its orbit.





A common identity in a liberal pluralistic
state, can be established on the citizens’
engagement in common social and
political institutions that are based on
their common language, indicate to the
same common history and maintain its
memory.
Kymlikca, W. (1995), Multicultural Citizenship: A Liberal Theory of Minority Rights, Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Spinner, J. (1994), The Boundaries of Citizenship: Race, Ethnicity and Nationality in the
Liberal State, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Tamir, Y. (1993), Liberal Nationalism, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
In states that include one or more
national minorities there are some
difficulties
concerning
citizenship
education that remain to be resolved:
 Who has the sovereignty?
 Which language has the priority in the
curriculum?
 Which level of political community
exercises jurisdiction over education?
