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The limits of culture in political theory: A critique of multiculturalism from the perspective of anthropology’s ontological turn

Political theorists have developed and refined the concept of culture through much critical discussion with anthropology. This article will deepen this engagement by claiming that political theory has glossed over a crucial aspect of the role of the concept of culture, rather than defined it incorrectly. It will be argued that culture represents one way of accounting for the variety of human groups by drawing on the recent ‘ontological turn’ in anthropology. This rests on an understanding of ontology as a system of classifying entities anterior to social relations rather than a philosophical position. The article will argue against culture’s status as a neutral and universal method of understanding human diversity by situating it within a pluralist approach to ontology, that posits multiple ontological schemas which form different social systems, each with their own understanding of human difference. Through an investigation of the implicit ontological commitments of multiculturalism it will be claimed that all political positions rest on a set of ontological presuppositions, and that these classifications place restrictions on the politics that they can express. Thus, political theorists should be vigilant of implicit ontological biases, represented here by culture, if they are to positively accommodate human difference.