Discourse

Abstract

Communication is a method of social coordination, where a speaker or writer conveys information to a recipient that elicits a response based on an understanding of what has been communicated. Discourse is a second-order form of communication that takes up the content of first-order communication and subjects it to critical analysis. Religious ethics as a discipline can be understood, in part, as a form of discourse (second-order critical reflection) focused on assessing the legitimacy of normative claims made in the context of particular religious traditions, between traditions, and as part of public discourse in liberal democratic societies that affirm the legitimacy of an indeterminate plurality of religions. In this context, religious ethics can be understood as the formal discursive practice for validating the normative claims made within and among religious communities and traditions. Religious communities engage in communicative acts with the aim of social coordination.