I subscribe to a broad ‘dual-track’ approach to multiculturalism. Firstly we have the official public sphere of the various political, legal and public institutions. But this is not the only public space for opinion formation. Secondly we must consider a range of unofficial social movements which operate in the religious, civic and cultural realms.
It is not necessary for the same conditions for democratic deliberation to be operative in the same way in each.
Official Public Sphere
- the rules of democratic and rational discourse are the ideal benchmark for decision-making
- the exercise of authority must be conducted on a secular basis. This is because (a) reason requires it, and (b) the state must retain neutrality between competing wordviews. This is only possible if official deliberation has a secular basis
- all citizens must have the cognitive and emotional competencies to hold any religious convictions reflexively. That is in a way that is able to acknowledge the primacy given to science and reason in the official public sphere
Unoffical Public Sphere
- this burden of rationality on members of faith groups does not need to be as rigid in those aspects of life beyond their participation in official public life
- in this sphere it is acceptable for believers to use a religious language when secular ‘translations’ are not available
- secularists must come to terms with co-existing with religious people
This is not as difficult as it may seem. It does not require us to accept the views of others that we reject. It just limits the practical effects of conflicting convictions.
For an extended version of this see my article on the Public Sphere.
