From distinguished moral philosopher Martha Nussbaum, this is
a historical and conceptual study of the American tradition of
religious freedom. In one of greatest triumphs of the colonial and
Revolutionary periods, the founders of the future United States
overcame religious intolerance in favour of a constitutional order
dedicated to fair treatment for people''s deeply held conscientious
beliefs. It granted equal liberty of conscience to all and took a
firm stand against religious establishment. This respect for
religious difference, argues Martha Nussbaum, is the basis for
democracy in America. Yet today there signs that this legacy is
misunderstood. The prominence of a particular type of Christianity
in America''s public life suggests the unequal worth of citizens who
hold different religious beliefs or no beliefs. Other people,
meanwhile, seek to curtail the influence of religion in public life
in a way that is itself unbalanced and unfair. Such partisan
efforts, argues Nussbaum, violate the spirit of the American
Constitution. Weaving together political history, philosophical
ideas and key constitutional cases, this is a rich chronicle of an
ideal of equality that has always been central in America''s
history, but is now in serious danger.
關於作者:
Martha Nussbaum holds appointments in the Philosophy
Department, Law School and Divinity School at the University of
Chicago. She holds thirty honorary degrees around the world.
目錄:
1 INTRODUCTION
A Tradition Under Threat
2 LIVING TOGETHER
The Roots of Respect
3 PROCLAIMING EQUALITY
Religion in the New Wation
4 THE STRUGGLE OVER ACCOMMODATION
5 FEARING STRANGERS
6 THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE
School Prayer, Public Displays
7 .AID TO SECTARIAN SCHOOLS
The Search for Fairness
……