ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the merits and limits of the equality arguments. It examines Kymlicka and Patten's equality arguments. It discusses that, although proponents of this argument correctly diagnose a serious social problem in many multination states, the solution they proposed is quite inadequate. The chapter argues that, for the equality argument to justify a group's right to self-government, one must specify the kind of good that is being unevenly distributed among different national groups and prove that granting the right to self-government is the only way to equalize the distribution of this good. Many philosophers advocate the right of national self-government. For them, it matters whether the group making the demand is a nation or not. In Multicultural Citizenship, Kymlicka defends the right of a national community to establish a sub-state, autonomous government. Patten's argument for national self-government is based on the interest people have in having their identity recognized.
