Politics and Religion in the New Century: Philosophical Reflections

(Paperback)

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Philosophy must reconsider its relation to religion. Had it been voiced in the latter part of the 20th century such a claim would have appeared strange, slightly quixotic and troubling. Voiced today it has lost its air of strangeness or excess, it is merely troubling. While theoretically we recognise that political life in pluralistic multicultural societies needs to be conducted at a distance from determinate religious beliefs, prac-tically these elements of life are becoming harder to keep separate. This manifests in a number of ways. Firstly, while politicians have instrumentalised religion for political ends, the religious have instru-mentalised politics for religious ends. Secondly, efforts to keep religious reasons out of public discourse are read by the religious as discrimination, favouring those without determinate religious views. Thirdly, because of its history and origin, efforts to export secular liberal politics can appear as cultural imperialisma 'crusade.

Author Bio

Philip Andrew Quadrio is a philosopher based at the University of Sydney.