Sir, - "A truly multicultural society gives respect to all cultures, and in doing that, it respects none," writes Kevin Myers (An Irishman's Diary, September 6th), denying that this is a "play on words". He adds that tolerance is the primary prerequisite for a civilised society.
I beg to differ. As Isaiah Berlin pointed out in one of his Four Essays on Liberty, tolerance implies a certain disrespect. It implies that you prefer to endure what you cannot respect. Respect, on the other hand, is a positive virtue in that a person feels they can take on board the object of respect.
In a truly multicultural and civilised society, respect is the essential ingredient, because on that basis the elements of society can commingle as true equals.
Mr Myers is confusing the basis of a truly multicultural society with cultural relativism. Cultural relativism reduces every culture to "discourse", in current post-modern fashion, and makes them all equal. A multicultural society built on this premise would admit female circumcision and tribal feuding as valid cultural practices. It is clear that such a society would not endure for long.
No, a multicultural society has at its core liberal values such as political liberty, human dignity, freedom of conscience and equal status before the law. These are meta-cultural ideals of society and provide the basis for the assimilation of all cultures. In this view, a multicultural society is a Western idea extended to admit other cultures from beyond its Christian and European roots. Such a society will respect and assimilate the traits of other cultures that fit its core values, will tolerate other traits that may be judged inimical but ultimately harmless, but will not tolerate cultural practices that violate society's core values.
I agree with Mr Myers that the Republic of Ireland is not a multicultural society, despite Mr O'Donoghue's smug assertion to the contrary. Much identity politics as practised by Irish ethnic nationalists, feminists or gay activists is contrary to true multicultural principles.
Any ideology that puts group solidarity before the needs of society should necessarily be tolerated, but not to the point where it can dominate and disempower other cultures.
To take Mr Myers's example, Muslims are entitled to protest at a public advertisement, and the protest might be valid if the advertisement denied Muslims the respect and tolerance they are entitled to. On the other hand, the protest could not be approved if it elevated particular religious principles above the right to free expression.
I would rephrase Kevin Myers's statement to say: "A truly multicultural society potentially gives respect to all cultures, and in doing that, it gives authority to none." - Yours, etc.,
Toby Joyce, Navan, Co Meath.