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John Rawls and the Liberal Faith
John Rawls, a giant of modern political philosophy, worked throughout his career to articulate the theoretical foundations of liberalism. Almost against his will, Rawls has suggested that those foundations are entangled with, and fortified by, religious faith.
Liberalism has always staked its claim to govern on its superior rationality. The modern liberal tradition, with its premise of the natural freedom and equality of all, arose in the 17th century partly in response to the turmoil of Europe’s wars of religion. When John Locke set out in his first Letter concerning Toleration (1689) to demarcate the sphere of life that belonged to religion and the sphere that belonged to secular authorities, he relied on reason rather than religion to map the boundaries. In the 18th and 19th centuries, in the writings of Montesquieu, James Madison, John Stuart Mill, and others, liberalism forged an alliance with the commercial spirit, science, and democracy. These were the forces associated with progress, while religion was generally equated with reaction. In the 20th century, the liberal tradition faced the eruption of the forces of unreason in hideous secular forms—Nazism and communism—and defeated them. At the beginning of the 21st century, a threat to the liberal tradition has erupted again, this time drawing strength from religion.
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Terrorism and the Limits of Law
Few institutions have been more severely tested in the wake of September 11 than the law. How do we treat suspected foreign terrorists? What is the proper balance between self-defense and the protection of civil liberties? A legal scholar sees an important lesson in how America has responded.Rebirth of a Notion
The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina opens this spring on the shores of the Mediterranean atop the foundations of a great lost legend. Will it be a beacon of intellectual hope and openness for a country sorely in need of one? An ordinary library with none of its precursor’s ancient luster? Or simply the world’s largest phone booth?Letter from a Russian Village
The village puts food on the Russian table and serves as a personal safety net for city-dwelling relatives. In return for their pains the farmers get a fragile form of independence, but at a great price.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and in no way represent the views or opinions of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. This section is moderated by Wilson Quarterly staff.
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Posted by: Lyn Phelps | 9/8/12