Working Paper: 553

Requiem to Enlightenment? Gadamer and Habermas
on Tradition, Religion, Secularism and Post-secularism

Anil Kumar Vaddiraju

 

Abstract

In the context of the resurgence of religion as a major phenomenon in politics across the contemporary world, this paper examines the different theoretical lenses from which this phenomenon can be explored. In this paper, we use the terms religion and tradition interchangeably, as most traditions in the developing countries are religious traditions. Currently, there is the recrudescence of Hindu nationalism in India, radical Islam in West Asia and movements of radical Christianity across the Western hemisphere. In such contexts, this paper examines how three political theories earlier viewed the phenomenon of religion. These are: Modernization; Marxism and Hermeneutics. We examine Jurgen Habermas’ attempts at dealing with the phenomenon in the light of the above three theories.

 

Working Papers