Abstract
The philosophy of John Rawls forms a critical cornerstone in modern liberalism, especially with its two concomitant and defining components: the existence of a society that will easily reach a consensus, as a collection of reasonable people, on political matters, as distinguished from religious and other similarly broad social constructs; and that reasonable peoples will organically privilege and prioritize the political over the religious when the two are in conflict with one another. These tenets also inform Rawls's ideas on justice and those who have agency in its definition. Yet, implicit within these tenets is an exclusion of religiously oriented peoples for whom faith systems supersede the political, particularly a political model of which they had no participatory role to develop. The exclusion of Muslims from this process and model facilitates the emergence of Islamophobia in a society that perceives itself as imbued with Rawlsian liberalism and without contradiction. This article explores Rawlsian liberalism and the central role it plays in modern, Western philosophy. It will offer a critique of his beliefs and delineate the internal flaws within Rawlsian liberalism. In addition, it will assess the fundamental architecture of Rawls's liberalism as a model lacking in practical applicability even from a normative reading. Finally, this article will demonstrate how such constructions of liberalism exclude Muslims from agency within a Rawlsian liberal society and contribute to the development and institutionalization of Islamophobia in such societies.
Highlights
The philosophy of John Rawls forms a critical cornerstone in modern liberalism, especially with its two concomitant and defining components: the existence of a society that will reach a consensus, as a collection of reasonable people, on political matters, as distinguished from religious and other broad social constructs; and that reasonable peoples will organically privilege and prioritize the political over the religious when the two are in conflict with one another
A more covert form of Islamophobia under the guise of inclusion occurs from the left in a manner that is confusing at first impression because it usually occurs not with the obvious and deliberate agenda of the right, but via micro-aggressions and tacit forms of disdain
The subtlety of Islamophobia deployed from the left requires considerable scrutiny because it calls into question the very foundational precepts of modern liberalism as well as its most recognizable advocates
Summary
The philosophy of John Rawls forms a critical cornerstone in modern liberalism, especially with its two concomitant and defining components: the existence of a society that will reach a consensus, as a collection of reasonable people, on political matters, as distinguished from religious and other broad social constructs; and that reasonable peoples will organically privilege and prioritize the political over the religious when the two are in conflict with one another. While the Rawlsian model is arguably the dominant model of contemporary political philosophy, and suggests on its face the potential for universal inclusiveness, questions abound whether Muslims may find a home within Rawls’s architecture of a politically liberal society on their own merits.
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