Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- PART I CONTEMPORARY LIBERALISM
- PART II LIBERALISM AND NATURAL LAW
- 7 Understanding Liberalism: A Broader Vision
- 8 Understanding Natural Law
- 9 Liberalism and Natural Law
- 10 “Cashing Out” Natural Law Liberalism: The Case of Religious Liberty
- 11 A Natural Law Public Philosophy
- Index
10 - “Cashing Out” Natural Law Liberalism: The Case of Religious Liberty
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 July 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- PART I CONTEMPORARY LIBERALISM
- PART II LIBERALISM AND NATURAL LAW
- 7 Understanding Liberalism: A Broader Vision
- 8 Understanding Natural Law
- 9 Liberalism and Natural Law
- 10 “Cashing Out” Natural Law Liberalism: The Case of Religious Liberty
- 11 A Natural Law Public Philosophy
- Index
Summary
Having given a general description and defense of the possibility and desirability of natural law liberalism, I would like to offer one example of how natural law liberalism “cashes out” on a particular topic. The topic of religious liberty seems particularly appropriate, not only because of its intrinsic importance, but also because it has been a central issue and a central problem in the history and development of natural law.
What I hope to show in this chapter is that natural law liberalism provides a distinctive ground for the principle of religious liberty. It rejects more traditional forms of natural law teaching on the subject, which excessively curtailed the scope of religious liberty. It also rejects contemporary liberal understandings of the grounds for that freedom, since they tend to rest essentially on some important element of skepticism, as to either the existence of religious truth or its knowability by human beings. In a way that neither of those approaches does, it protects a broad form of religious liberty while maintaining a firm belief in the existence and intelligibility of religious truth.
PRELIMINARY NOTE ON “RELIGION”
Before I turn to the stance taken by natural law liberal public philosophy toward religion in general, I need to point out a significant problem in discussing any question regarding “religion,” namely, the absence of any very satisfactory definition of it.
Most people throughout history have subscribed to some form of religious belief.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Natural Law Liberalism , pp. 217 - 247Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006