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Taking the Challenge of Fundamentalism Seriously
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Palade, Tereza-Brînduşa |
| Copyright Year | 2014 |
| Abstract | Are democratic institutions to be confined to a liberal 'neutrality', especially when it comes to recognizing socially constructive values based upon religious commitments which are freely expressed by individuals in a democratic society? In recent decades, after the revival of militant religious movements with strong political agendas, this 'neutrality' has been somewhat reinforced. Indeed, this has yielded a certain polarity between the demand for a more radical secularization of the public space, on the one hand, and the fundamentalist language constructed upon the tenets of different religions, on the other hand. The main question which I intend to address is whether, notwithstanding this polarity, there is still a future for religiously inspired societal values that are congruous with a liberal-democratic order, and in particular with democratic values. More precisely, the question is whether the challenge of fundamentalism would be more adequately faced in Western democracies by a reasonable liberalization of the public discourse that may include some 'religious' values into the overlapping consensus, rather than by a secularistic censure of any reference to transcendence that may call into question the freedom of expression of individuals who still live under a sacred canopy. Thus, democratic values and institutions may possibly cohere with a reasonable expression of religious beliefs and values, provided that the latter do not violate J.S. Mill's classic harm principle and do not convey millennial or messianic political goals. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.ejst.tuiasi.ro/Files/47/2_Palade.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
