Strange Diversity: Constitutionalism in an Age of Difference

Author: (Canada) Talley
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In 1994, Professor Talley was invited to deliver the inaugural John Robert Seeley Lecture. The Seeley Lecture is jointly organized by the Department of History at the University of Cambridge in the UK and the publisher, inviting outstanding international scholars to discuss practical and universal issues in the fields of society and politics in clear and accessible language. This book is based on Professor Talley's lecture manuscript "Constitutionalism in an Age of Difference." In the book, Talley confronts contemporary political issues, focusing on the conflicts and dilemmas arising from the demands of various ethnic groups for cultural recognition. He employs the philosophical principles of Wittgenstein's meta-language theory to critically examine four centuries of European constitutional thought and its colonial history, thereby developing a "post-imperialist" constitutional philosophy and practice. This constitutional philosophy promotes the spirit of the "Haida homeland," emphasizing that citizens of different ethnic groups, guided by the conventions of ancient constitutions, should jointly engage in dialogue and negotiation to find appropriate forms of mediation for their cultural differences.