Lost in Translation? Habermas on religion in the public sphere

This thesis investigates Habermas's approach to the role of religious reasons in public deliberation. A critique of Habermas's theory is developed along three lines. First, it is argued that Habermas's work oversimplifies religious reasons by treating 'religious reasons as a singular phenomenon. Thereby, Habermas underplaying the diversity of ways people practice religion. Second, this thesis argues that the translation of religious reasons to the language of public administration might prove harder than Habermas presents it. Third, Habermas's claim to have developed a 'postmetaphysical' theory fails to convince, as Habermas makes fundamental metaphysical assumptions. This undermines the neutral character of his account of religion in the public sphere. This thesis suggests an alternative approach may be available in the literature: instead of distinguishing between religious and non-religious reasons, we should distinguish authoritarian and non-authoritarian reasons. This preserves...Show moreThis thesis investigates Habermas's approach to the role of religious reasons in public deliberation. A critique of Habermas's theory is developed along three lines. First, it is argued that Habermas's work oversimplifies religious reasons by treating 'religious reasons as a singular phenomenon. Thereby, Habermas underplaying the diversity of ways people practice religion. Second, this thesis argues that the translation of religious reasons to the language of public administration might prove harder than Habermas presents it. Third, Habermas's claim to have developed a 'postmetaphysical' theory fails to convince, as Habermas makes fundamental metaphysical assumptions. This undermines the neutral character of his account of religion in the public sphere. This thesis suggests an alternative approach may be available in the literature: instead of distinguishing between religious and non-religious reasons, we should distinguish authoritarian and non-authoritarian reasons. This preserves the deliberative spirit of Habermas's project, while more accurately filtering out the modes of reasoning that are unhelpful for advancing constructive deliberation.Show less

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Lost in Translation? Habermas on religion in the public sphere