Religious Ideals and the Idea of Liberalism: Goodman's Religious Pluralism and Values in the Public Sphere

Abstract

Lenn Goodman's defense of a vital role for religiously grounded considerations in the political culture of a pluralistic liberal polity is supported in important respects though aspects of his critique of secular pluralism are challenged. It is true that secular liberalism sometimes fails to acknowledge constructive ways religion can figure in pluralistic liberal political culture. Additionally, it sometimes excludes valuative considerations crucial to many persons’ deepest commitments and convictions. Also, there is merit in Goodman's critique of public reason. However, liberal theory contains resources enabling it to respond to some of the objections he elaborates. Moreover, claiming that pluralism will be stunted and inadequate to human needs and concerns without values and reasons that transcend politics is more problematic than Goodman suggests. The intelligibility of the valuative considerations figuring in politics remains challenging. Without a standard of public reason what can be an effective basis for socio-political—if pluralistic—cohesion?