Abstract
The basis of the legitimacy of American government rests on consent of the governed–We the people. This source of legitimacy is an example of the application of social contract theory which systematically began with Hobbes and Locke and continues to contemporary times with writers such as Rawls. An alternative basis of political legitimacy was prevalent during the Middle Ages where the basis of the state’s legitimacy was God and religion. While social contract theory supplanted the theocratic basis of political legitimacy, there are still those today who which to return to the idea that the basis of the state is religion. In the case of the United States, that idea is expressed by movements such as Christian Nationalism and the attack on separation of church and state. This paper examines this controversy focusing on the different bases of political legitimacy and the implication these have for individual rights, freedom of expression, separation of church and state and the role of religion, particularly the Christian religion in government and politics. These two bases of political obligation result in very different conceptions of the concept of political legitimacy, political obligation, and the legitimate functions of government. If we were to accept a theocratic basis for political obligation we would have a very different foundation for government in the United States than that envisioned in the Constitution.
Presenters
John RayProfessor, Liberal Studies/Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Montana Technological University, Montana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
RELIGION, STATE, POLITICAL LEGITIMACY, POLITICAL OBLIGATION, SOCIAL CONTRACT
