Pluralism

A look at the philosophical underpinnings of pluralism.

John Rawls has stated that pluralism is a fact of modern political life. Difference of beliefs and faiths is an inherent part of living in societies, and especially one with our liberal democracies.

Connolly attempts to handle the contradictions which this belief system engenders. On the one hand, there are unflinching dogmas which demand their unilateral imposition (he ties together St. Augustine and Sayyed Qutb), and on the other, relativism, which denies all objectivity and claims to truth. His goal is to find a proper balance between the two.

He advances a few interesting ideas. He notes that all of us are creatures of faith, a cliche which me strengthens and makes into a show more truism. He defines some new terms for phenomena within pluralism - 'agnostic respect', where you learn that there are faiths other than your own and respect that other people have them, and 'critical responsiveness', where one becomes more receptive not only to the faiths, but also the struggles and leaps of faith, which others have. These do not seem like discoveries, but like attempts at definitions. His pluralism is tolerant to everything except unilateral demands, and denounces secularism (?).

The rest of the book seems disjointed and awkward, trying to draw up artists and philosophers as examples of ideas, as well as political events, jumping from Proust to Deleuze to 9/11 with little tendon connection between them - but then offers little in the means of making these thoughts into something more concrete. This pluralism sounds excellent enough, but how do we cultivate it in others?

A confusing book, and one which wanders from its original task, but one which asks good questions. I'm told this is not his best book, and I may read another of his. show less