The German debate on male circumcision and Habermas’ model of post‐secularity
Autor: | Jens Greve |
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Rok vydání: | 2018 |
Předmět: |
Adult
Freedom Male Parents Value (ethics) Legislation Medical Health (social science) Bodily integrity Human Rights Social Values Inclusion (disability rights) media_common.quotation_subject Child Welfare Fundamental rights 0603 philosophy ethics and religion Germany Reading (process) Humans Sociology Child media_common Human Body Motivation Health Policy Interpretation (philosophy) Religion and Medicine 06 humanities and the arts 16. Peace & justice Dissent and Disputes Secularity Epistemology Philosophy Harm Circumcision Male Personal Autonomy 060301 applied ethics Ethical Analysis |
Zdroj: | Bioethics. 33:457-466 |
ISSN: | 1467-8519 0269-9702 |
Popis: | This paper considers Habermas' model of a post-secular political order in the light of the debate on male circumcision that arose in Germany after a court ruled that male circumcision was an unjustifiable act of bodily harm. Central to this model is the idea that religious reasons can only become effective in central legal institutions when they are translated into secular reasons. My paper demonstrates that there are two distinguishable readings of this proviso. On the one hand, there is a broad reading according to which it is only necessary to reach a conclusion that is in line with the democratic principle stating that all citizens can be regarded as co-legislators even if non-generalizable value orientations might then shape the interpretation of fundamental rights (in the case of circumcision, the right to bodily integrity). On the other hand, a truly secular (narrow) reading would avoid the inclusion of non-generalizable value orientations. The debate on circumcision demonstrates that these two interpretations lead to different and conflicting modes of justification. The broad reading allows for a justification of male circumcision, whereas the narrow reading makes such a justification unlikely. In addition, the filtering function of the proviso is weakened in a broad reading. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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