In the social studies education, multicultural education has put a lot of effort into respecting the diverse cultures and identities of minorities. However, there has not been enough discussion about how to respect multicultural identities that conflict with individual rights in a liberal society. This article theoretically examines the basic position of liberalism and multiculturalism on respecting identity and proposes a possibility to reconcile the conflict between individual rights and identity through the concept of ‘cultural freedom’: In a liberal society, identity can be understood as a right, and that is the starting point of discussions for resolving cultural conflicts in specific situations through priority among the three categories of liberty rights (freedom of mind and body, cultural freedom, and political freedom). Furthemore, these discussions have important implications in multicultural education of the social studies oriented towards civic education. Through this, students will be able to respect diverse identities, view diverse cultures from the broader horizon of meaning, and reflect on their multi-layered and changeable identities.