True Tolerance: Religion in a Global Society – A Work In Progress  Sarah Ferguson, Department of Anthropology, College of Public Affairs and Community Service, Honors College  Dale Wilkerson, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

Introduction  Samuel Huntington’s “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order”  Divides the world into civilizations based on cultural affinity  Cultural differences are source of conflict between civilizations  Universality not possible

Huntington’s Civilizations

Research Thesis  Investigate the possibility of a universal religious ideology  If above exists, can it serve as a foundation for true tolerance?  True tolerance: acceptance of other beliefs as equal in validity to your own when viewed from their perspective

Morality and Reason  Immanuel Kant: all humans have an equal capacity for reason and moral understanding  Sigmund Freud: human conscience shaped by culture and experience (DiCenso 2007)  Conclusion: religious diversity is a result of cultural differences

Universal Moral Principle  Any universal moral principle must exist a priori (Gamwell 2003)  Haidt & Joseph 2004: Moral Foundations Theory Harm/Care Fairness/Reciprocity In-Group/Loyalty Authority/Respect Purity/Sanctity

Secularization of Religion  Exchange of historical traditions for reasonable and moral ideology (Lovibond 2005) Universal Moral Foundation Religious Institutions Cultural Traditions Dogma & Doctrine

Current Philosophical Thought  Gianni Vattimo: true religion emphasizes charity  John Caputo: importance of the event  Jacques Derrida: religion vs. technology part of globalization, terrorism as symptom  Jürgen Habermas: fundamentalism is a reaction against threat of modernity

Research Plan  Investigate the movement of major religions towards secularization  Prove the validity of a universal religious ideology  Examine the benefits of above in creating understanding and supporting peaceful interaction between civilizations

Tentative Research Methodology  Investigate Modernist and/or Secularist movements in the five major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, & Judaism How many exist and how successful are they?  Present an argument for the possibility of a universal religious ideology using current and past philosophical theory

References  Borradori, Giovanna Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogue with Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.  Caputo, John D. and Gianni Vattimo After the Death of God. Ed. Jeffrey W. Robbins. New York: Columbia University Press.  DiCenso, James Kant, Freud, and the Ethical Critique of Religion. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion. 61.3: ISI Web of Knowledge. University of North Texas Library, Denton, TX. 9 Feb mode=Refine&qid=9&SID=3AoKCOpgmFHFhk6D4bo&page=2&doc=14&cac heurlFromRightClick=no  Gamwell, Franklin I The Moral Ground of Cosmopolitan Democracy. The Journal of Religion. 83.4: JSTOR. University of North Texas Library, Denton, TX. 7 Feb  Haidt, Jonathan and Craig Joseph Intuitive Ethics: How Innately Prepared Intuitions Generate Culturally Variable Virtues. Daedalus (October 1): ISI Web of Knowledge. University of North Texas Library, Denton, TX. 9 Feb  Lovibond, S Religion and Modernity - Living in the Hypercontext. Journal of Religious Ethics. 33.4: ISI Web of Knowledge. University of North Texas Library, Denton, TX. 9 Feb mode=GeneralSearch&qid=2&SID=3AoKCOpgmFHFhk6D4bo&page=1&doc =5&cacheurlFromRightClick=no.

Acknowledgements  Dale Wilkerson, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor  Andrea Kirk, Ph.D., Lecturer, Honors College  Susan Eve, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Honors College  Gloria Cox, Ph.D., Dean of the Honors College  Tom Evenson, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service  Wendy Wilkins, Ph.D., Provost and V.P. of Academic Affairs  Gretchen Bataille, Ph.D., President of the University of North Texas