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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2009
The Trudeau-Lévesque debate has created a political deadlock that threatens not only Confederation but federalism as well. At the core of the political deadlock is a philosophical dispute about language, in which liberty is set against community, and particularism becomes opposed to universalism. Not only does the Trudeau-Lévesque deadlock presuppose an antagonism between basic values that is difficult to justify, but it has also diverted attention from important dimensions of Canadian federalism. An exploration of the Trudeau-Lévesque debate provides insights as to how the deadlock can be dissolved, thereby facilitating the re-imagination of Confederation.
Le débat Trudeau-Lévesque a créé une impasse politique qui menace non seulement la Confédération, mais également le fédéralisme lui-même. Au coeur de l'impasse politique on retrouve une discussion philosophique du problème linguistique, dans laquelle liberté s'oppose à la communauté, et le particularisme à l'universalisme. Outre le fait qu'elle présuppose un conflit entre les valeurs fondamentales qui est difficile à justifier, l'impasse Trudeau-Lévesque a détourné l'attention d'autres aspects plus importants du fédéralisme canadien. Cet examen approfondi du débat Trudeau-Lévesque contribue des aperçus qui permettront de sortir de cette impasse, rendant ainsi plus facile la réimagination de la Confédération.
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