In recent years the implications of "multiculturalism" for American society have been the subject of much debate. To some, the term has come to denote the fragmentation of tradition and the coherent values that derive from it. To others, it signals the advent of a more inclusive, tolerant and genuinely democratic society. Drawing on philosophy's long-standing concern with issues of pluralism and relativism, on the traditions of American pragmatism and on modern theoretical innovations, the essays in this volume bring clarity to this discussion by analysing the underlying values and assumptions of each side. They present a defence of the virtues of diversity, outside as well as inside the walls of the academy. Contributors include: Lawrence Blum, Karen Fiser, Lawrence Foster, Nelson Lande, Tommy Lee Lott, Patricia Mann, Jane Roland Martin, Mitchell Silver, Janet Farrell Smith and David Wong.