On Translating Religious Reasons: Rawls, Habermas, and the Quest for a Neutral Public Sphere (original) (raw)

Through a critical analysis of the positions of Rawls and Habermas, the article argues against the proviso that religious language be " translated " into an allegedly neutral vocabulary as a condition for full inclusion within public political reasoning. Defending and expanding the analysis of Maeve Cooke, it maintains that both Habermas and Rawls mischaracterize the nature of religious reasons in relation to reasons alleged to be " freestanding, " " secular, " or " postmetaphysical. " Reflection on the origins of religious discourse and the component thought to be retained when such discourse is " translated " demonstrates the untenability of a sharp distinction between " rational " and " religious " discourse on matters pertaining to morality. The article nonetheless affirms the need for common acceptance of the justificatory language of coercive political policies, but contends that this language is best conceived as a historically evolving wide (not universal) agreement, and as a confluence of various types of agreement. The difficulties of determining the appropriate place of religious discourse within the public life of a democratic society are well illustrated by the numerous shifts in the positions of Rawls and Habermas on this subject. While the general pattern is towards a loosening of restrictions on the presentation of religious reasons within public debate on political issues, the latest and least restrictive positions of both Rawls and Habermas retain a sense that naked religious reasons cannot be fully integrated into deliberations whose outcome will determine coercive state policies. That is because of a shared view that even where citizens do not agree with a particular policy or article of legislation, democratic legitimacy requires that the reasons given for its implementation are intelligible to them, being in some fashion reasons that all citizens can accept. Behind this view lies the Kantian idea

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