ABSTRACT
The Nordic welfare state is challenged from several sides, e.g. demographically and economically. People live longer, and many of them need assistance as they grow old. To the extent that the Nordic welfare state as an institution depends on certain socio-cultural preconditions, multiculturalism, in any workable sense, must adapt to these preconditions. A pluralism of modern sciences is a fundamental precondition for the Nordic welfare state. In this sense, there is a positive relationship between such a science-related “multiculturalism” and a modern Nordic welfare state. The precautionary principle is crucial for a responsible policy concerning ecological challenges; the same can be said with regard to the socio-cultural challenges that the Nordic welfare state is facing. The Nordic welfare state does not require everyone to be the same. The welfare state has its historical and socio-cultural preconditions, which function as prerequisites for a community.
