Liberalism and the place of religion: a Rortian approach to the public-private problem of religious discourse

Abstract

Richard Rorty argues that religious discourse is at odds with the liberal ideals of the public sphere. As a result, he argues that religions should be kept in the private sphere so that the liberal State may be neutral about the personal issues concerning individual religious choices, preserving the citizen’s freedom and autonomy. In order to justify the choices that constitute Rorty's view, the paper will analyze, in particular, three positions Rorty defends in his writings: the first is that religion must be privatized; the second is the defense of the marginalization of ecclesiastical organizations; the third consists in arguing that defending pragmatism results in upholding a secular liberal utopia. The aim of the paper is to explain how Rorty’s arguments stem from his commitment to his neopragmatism and how they fit within the liberal anti-foundational logic proposed by the author.