ABSTRACT
THE FIRST CORNER of the multicultural triangle is the state, in particular, the so-called modern state or Western nation-state. It is the governing elite of the state, as well as its hegemonic media and its dominant civil culture, that determine the life chances of most people, be they counted as majorities or minorities through one criteria or another. It is precisely these powers, in fact, that often determine who is regarded as a minority and on what construction of difference, be it ethnic or religious, civic or sexual, historic or mythical. Although the choice of this starting point may seem obvious, it is nonetheless useful to cast a very brief glance behind the facade of this entity. The Western nation-state is a peculiar amalgam of two seemingly irreconcilable philosophies: rationalism, that is, the appeal to purpose and efficiency; and romanticism, that is, the appeal to feelings as the basis of action.
