ABSTRAKThe purpose of the present paper is to distinguish and compare several ways of articulating and defending the policy ideal of multiculturalism. It distinguishes three approaches: the culturalist approach, the domination/oppression approach, and the community rebuilding approach. After briefly looking at the former two approaches, the present paper examines the community rebuilding approach in more detail. The community rebuilding approach attracts relatively little at- tention in political theory literature, but it is nonetheless informing important policy debates and practices of multiculturalism today. Finally, the paper com- pares the merits and demerits of the three approaches, and considers the appro- priate way of articulating and applying multiculturalism in particular situations.