tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post7035687747268114756..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: Church and state - back to the EnlightenmentRussell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-3000615806022288662007-11-05T19:48:00.000+11:002007-11-05T19:48:00.000+11:00interesting... an unintended, genius aspect of dem...interesting... an unintended, genius aspect of democracy is that the state of the government will represent the state of the people. We needn't impose any particular religion on our government. Whether or not our government is morally stable will reflect the moral stability of us, the people. So how are <I>we</I> doing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-28970977176967251072007-10-23T19:19:00.000+10:002007-10-23T19:19:00.000+10:00I'll be interested to hear more about the Mark Lil...I'll be interested to hear more about the Mark Lilla book, Brian, as you get through it. The excerpt that I've seen looks good.Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-83199350231586404382007-10-23T12:06:00.000+10:002007-10-23T12:06:00.000+10:00Cardinal Peel, Cardinal Pell, anyway you like it, ...Cardinal Peel, Cardinal Pell, anyway you like it, he wants us to go to hell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-21742539469763883942007-10-23T11:53:00.000+10:002007-10-23T11:53:00.000+10:00What I think I want to say to that - to use a McGr...What I think I want to say to that - to use a McGrathism - is that they can bring their religion to the table <I>if</I>, from within their religion, they can find a basis to support Lockean tolerance and the Millian harm principle. That isn't beyond all Catholics - Max Charlesworth does a good job. If they can't support those sorts of principles, then they are not signing up to the Enlightenment compromise and we have a problem.Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-46970099704334174332007-10-23T11:10:00.000+10:002007-10-23T11:10:00.000+10:00Hi Russell, I've started reading Mark Lilla's "sti...Hi Russell, I've started reading Mark Lilla's "stillborn god" which treats the same topic. The part I've read deals with Hobbes and how he was the first to deal with the problem of intractable religious claims by changing the subject. Religion would be an private issue between believer and his god and the state (a dictatorship) would demand allegiance from citizen regarding earthly stuff. He talks about how Locke, Hume and others are actually Hobbesian in that they too try to pacify (hobble) religion but they do it in a tolerant framework. <BR/> Anyway, I'm not totally sure where I stand on religion and society. But I have a few views. For example, if citizen Tony Abbot wants to discuss transubstantiation and the morality of abortion from a catholic standpoint, well that doesn't concern me, though I probably would vehemently disagree with him. But if Health Minister Tony Abbot seeks to impose catholic doctrine on the health system well that's a problem. I've read commentary that says it's undemocratic to expect a religious politician to not be led by his religion, and indeed Cardinal Peel threatens catholic politicians to eternal damnation if they don't vote according to vatican doctrine. I have a problem with that. Politicians should serve a secular "good" not a particular sectarian "good". Make sense?<BR/> I don't think I'd make a good philosopher as I find heuristics that suit me and don't follow them through to there logical conclusion as philosophers seem to do....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com