Dialogues on Immigration and the Open Society

by Chandran Kukathas

Overview

After some friendly pestering from six of his students curious about his thinking about immigration, a philosophy professor invites them to present their own ideas to him over a series of meetings throughout the term. This book is about their conversations.

These dialogues introduce the reader to the most important ethical and political questions about immigration. They begin by considering the claim that significant levels of immigration pose a threat to the very civilization of the West, where the immigration issue is a particularly vexed one. The chapters that follow consider the economics of immigration, whether or not the state is justified in its efforts—or even obliged—to control immigration, and whether everyone has a right to move or if only refugees can make so strong a claim. The final chapter considers the implications of a philosophy of immigration on the ideal of an open society. Throughout the book, there is a strong emphasis on addressing the conceptual questions that are vital for making any headway in understanding practical issues. What is a refugee? What are rights? What is an open society? Indeed, what is immigration?

Key Features:

• Written as a friendly engagement between six thoughtful but skeptical students who hold a variety of views, and a philosophy professor, who insists he’s just trying to work out the answers with their help rather than convince them of one right answer;
• Engages with the immigration debates in philosophy, economics and politics, without presupposing any specialist knowledge;
• Includes discussion of the historical and institutional aspects of immigration, so the conversation is never simply about abstract or hypothetical cases;
• Concludes with a substantive theory about how to think about immigration and the free society to prompt further reflection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032996028
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/16/2025
Series:	Philosophical Dialogues on Contemporary Problems
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chandran Kukathas is Professor of Political Science at Singapore Management University. He is the author of Immigration and Freedom (2021), The Liberal Archipelago (2003) and Hayek and Modern Liberalism (1989).

Table of Contents

Preface and acknowledgements 1. Immigration and Civilization 2. The Economics of Immigration 3. Immigration and the State 4. Rights and Refugees 5. Immigration and the Open Society Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

"This marvelous experiment of a book is pure Kukathas: wise, humane, and thoughtful, offering a model of respectful teaching, an inspiring vision of the open society, and a scandalous amount of wordplay. It is instructive about political theory and politics, and suggestive about the place of both in the good life. Most of all, it models productive dialogue on some of the most divisive and polarizing issues today, while exploring the best versions of what there is to be said on many sides."

Jacob T. Levy, Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory and Professor of Political Science at McGill University, Canada

"Resurrecting the Platonic tradition of dialogue, Kukathas engages one of the most urgent questions of our time—freedom of movement—with depth, nuance, and Socratic irony. Through sharp yet open-ended exchanges, this beautifully written book invites readers to confront their own assumptions and wrestle with the complexities of migration, identity, refugees, justice, the state, and the ideal of an open society. A much needed philosophical exercise in an age where only dogmas about immigration seem to surround us."

Lea Ypi, Professor of Political Theory at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

From the Publisher