POLS1301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Secularism, Hijab
Lecture - Secularism + Fundamentalism
Assumptions (not correct):
Fundamentalism only applies to religion
BUT you can have fundamentalist socialists etc.
it is a tendency that can be attached to all political ideas
all religion is fundamentalist in some way
all religious fundamentalism is violent
secularism is about reason and progress - it is not about faith
Core question: where do secularism and fundamentalism come from?
connected histories
Secularism:
common understandings of secularism:
a way of life that rejects all religion
sees religion as irrational + inherently problematic
Religion obstructs achievement of an enlightened society governed by reason
a universal tendency towards less religion in the wake of modernisation
sociological
influence of religion on human life and relationships etc
is declining
universal tendency in the move from a feudal system to a lib democratic system
religion no longer at the centre of our political organisation
separation of church and state
state neutrality and equidistance towards all religions
the rejection of all religious views in political debate and all religious symbols in
public places
textbook def:
Advocacy of a separation or organised religion from the state/political power
Normative
takes different forms in different contexts/societies
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Core question: where do secularism and fundamentalism come from? connected histories. Secularism: common understandings of secularism: a way of life that rejects all religion sees religion as irrational + inherently problematic. Advocacy of a separation or organised religion from the state/political power. Liberalism: supports state neutrality supports religious freedom in the private sphere conservatives: want to preserve religious institutions e. g. marriage. 1st explanation: the protestant reformation and the religious wars that followed at the time society believed that religion needed to underpin society treaty of westphalia + development of liberalism => new ideas about relationship between religion and politics. Locke: religion is for internal spiritual interests, and should be kept separate from politics. 2nd: the secularisation thesis: modernisation leads to the increasing privatisation of religion historical changes = increasing differentiation between religion and other spheres of society the privatisation of religion less public presence religion will decline and perhaps ultimately vanish.
