Rawls' approaches to justice and political philosophy

Rawlsian Argument in Favor of a Secular Society

One can make a Rawlsian argument that we should have a secular society because morality does not have to be dictated by religion. The main argument in favor of having a religious society is that, absent the influence of religion, people worry that the world would devolve into anarchy and that the baser side of human nature, uncontrolled by religious concerns, would dominate society. However, Rawls make a compelling argument that morality is not dependent upon religion. Instead, he suggests that moral rules and laws can be established without resorting to religions. He believes that human beings, as members of society, can join together to establish guidelines for moral behavior.

It is critical to keep in mind that having a secular society that determines the rules and conditions for membership in that society in a non-religious manner does not seem to require that the individual members of that society abandon their religious teachings or learning when determining those ethical rules and norms. Rawls seems to have acknowledged that the establishment of the existence of God and reliance on religious ethics and norms has helped shape what behavior is considered normal and ethical in society. He does not suggest that society should abandon those norms that may have been shaped by religious values. However, he does suggest that religion should not dictate laws and values. The secular society that Rawls imagines seems at odds with modern America where the religion of Presidential candidates gets far more scrutiny than other aspects of their character. It seems to be a reminder of what may have been intended by the Founding Fathers, who specifically prohibited the use of a religious test to qualify political candidates.

One of the biggest arguments that people make in favor of a non-secular society is that keeping religion in society protects those who are the weakest and most vulnerable in a society. However, the history of religious oppression argues against the notion that religion helps protect those who are the most vulnerable. Instead, religious societies have targeted religious and racial minorities as well as focusing a tremendous hatred towards woman. The witch hunts of the Inquisition are a great example of how a religious society not only failed to protect the most vulnerable among them, but actually targeted them and caused them great harm. Therefore, the most vulnerable among us would probably be best protected by a secular society.