Is There a Canadian Philosophy?: Reflections on the Canadian Identity

Jeffrey J. Cormier is an assistant professor of sociology at Queen’s
University.

Is there such a thing as a “Canadian philosophy?” Grant Madison,
Paul Fairfield, and Ingrid Harris—all philosophers at McMaster
University—answer both “yes” and “no” to this question. Their
negative response stems from their belief that Canadian philosophy does
not consist of a unified body of doctrine to which a group of practising
philosophers adheres. They maintain that Canadian philosophy is a sort
of modus operandi, a particular set of social and political practices, a
self-understanding, and a mode of public discourse that permeates
Canadian society. The major feature of this Canadian philosophy is that
it exalts the values of civility, pluralism, and compromise within a
liberal individualist framework.

While part of this book is concerned with outlining the contours of a
general Canadian philosophy, a second, even more dominant theme emerges.
The authors tackle one of the most interesting and longstanding debates
within Canadian political philosophy: the debate between those who
support the universal human rights of individuals and those who support
the collective rights of groups. The authors fall quite clearly into the
former camp, and Madison in particular takes Canadian philosophers
Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka to task for promoting a “politics of
difference.” While both Taylor and Kymlicka say they are liberals,
Madison argues that their attempts to reconcile communitarian values
with individual human values ultimately fail and invariably lead to a
divisive form of identity politics whereby various minority groups fight
for special treatment. As an alternative, the authors construct a
Canadian political philosophy, which is postnational, strives to be
universal, is sensitive to the processes of globalization, and is
founded on individual rights.

This book would very nicely fit into a course on political philosophy
as a counterbalance to works by Canadian philosophers Taylor and
Kymlicka.