The major aim of this paper is to present some reflections about the political domain and the common good that may be helpful in answering the following issue: How can religions contribute to the common good? The problematic background of this paper can be summarized by the so-called Dilemma of Böckenförde (“The free secular state lives according to presuppositions that it cannot itself guarantee”), which presents the difficulties secular states have in creating social capital, and by the Habermasian notion of a “post-secular society,” an expression used by the German philosopher to summarize the curious situations of Western secularized states, where religions continue to play important public roles.1 I will first discuss the notion of “neutralization” with the support of Carl Schmitt. Then I will present Chantal Mouffe’s doctrine of “agonistic pluralism” and her partial legitimization of the presence of religions in the political domain. Finally, I will criticize Mouffe’s approach with the help of Alasdair MacIntyre’s phenomenology of social practices in order to stress the importance of public religions in contemporary liberal societies.

(2014). Beyond the Naked Square: The Idea of an Agonistic Public Sphere [journal article - articolo]. In AMERICAN CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10446/88725

Beyond the Naked Square: The Idea of an Agonistic Public Sphere

MALETTA, Santino Raffaele
2014-01-01

Abstract

The major aim of this paper is to present some reflections about the political domain and the common good that may be helpful in answering the following issue: How can religions contribute to the common good? The problematic background of this paper can be summarized by the so-called Dilemma of Böckenförde (“The free secular state lives according to presuppositions that it cannot itself guarantee”), which presents the difficulties secular states have in creating social capital, and by the Habermasian notion of a “post-secular society,” an expression used by the German philosopher to summarize the curious situations of Western secularized states, where religions continue to play important public roles.1 I will first discuss the notion of “neutralization” with the support of Carl Schmitt. Then I will present Chantal Mouffe’s doctrine of “agonistic pluralism” and her partial legitimization of the presence of religions in the political domain. Finally, I will criticize Mouffe’s approach with the help of Alasdair MacIntyre’s phenomenology of social practices in order to stress the importance of public religions in contemporary liberal societies.
articolo
2014
Maletta, Santino Raffaele
(2014). Beyond the Naked Square: The Idea of an Agonistic Public Sphere [journal article - articolo]. In AMERICAN CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10446/88725
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