Secular republicanism? An analysis of the prospects and limits of Laborde’s republican account of religion

Abstract

Debates over what the proper role and place of religion within a pluralist and diverse society of free and equal citizens are on-going. While much of the literature grapples over the question of how liberal theories should deal with religion, there is relatively little debate about the prospects and limits of secular republicanism. The key exception to this rule is the work of Cécile Laborde, in which she advocates two strategies for dealing with religion: justificatory secularism and disaggregating the concept of religion. In this paper, I critically analyse both these strategies, flagging up potentially contentious issues and shedding light on the potential for a critical republican secularism.