Religion and Public Reason

An Epistemological Interpretation

Authors

  • Raphaël de Vietri University of Western Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/arsr.v22i1.64

Keywords:

Public Reason, Religion, Epistemology, Robert Audi, John Rawls

Abstract

Using Audi’s argument for secular public debate as a starting point, which argues for the exclusion of religion from individuals’ public political discourse, this paper argues that it is a fundamental obligation of all citizens in a pluralistic liberal democracy to adhere to a notion of ‘public reason’. It does not, however accept Audi and Rawls’ interpretations of the notion of public reason uncritically. Through a comparative study of both philosophers’ principles, a new interpretation of the notion is put forward which focuses on epistemic sources as the crucial criteria for deciding what counts as public reason.

Author Biography

  • Raphaël de Vietri, University of Western Australia

    Raphael de Vietri is currently an honours student in the philosophy program at UWA. His research interests are in political and legal philosophy and ethics. He has previously held visiting research positions at the UWA Centre for Muslim States and Societies, at the International Humanitarian Law division of the Australian Red Cross and at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Bamako, and has been a graduate intern with the US State Department.

References

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Published

2009-08-17

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

de Vietri, R. (2009). Religion and Public Reason: An Epistemological Interpretation. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 22(1), 64-82. https://doi.org/10.1558/arsr.v22i1.64

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