Conference paper
RATZINGER VS RAWLS: THE BREAKDOWN OF THE OVERLAPPING CONSENSUS
Enes Kulenović
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The author analyses Rawls’ concept of the overlapping consensus in the light of the recently published set of instructions of the Vatican’s Congregation for the doctrine of the faith about the participation of Catholics in political life. Rawls introduces the idea of the overlapping consensus as an institutional mechanism aimed at avoiding imposing a comprehensive moral, philosophical or religious doctrine on all citizens and thus preserving the pluralism of values of contemporary liberal-democratic societies. By comparing the basic outlines of Rawls’ theory of political liberalism with the set of instructions of the Catholic Church about the participation of its flock in political life, signed by Cardinal Ratzinger, the author challenges the viability of this concept of Rawls’, as well as the possibility of reconciling the liberal notion of the citizen with the Catholic ideal of the participation of believers in the political life of their communities.
Keywords
Rawls’ political liberalism; overlapping consensus; burdens of judgement; Catholic church; participation of Catholics in politics
Hrčak ID:
23295
URI
Publication date:
26.8.2003.
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