Reason, Religion, and Democracy

This book also emphasizes the difference between religion and science as means for understanding causal relationships, but it focuses much more heavily on the challenge religious extremism poses for liberal democratic institutions. The treatment contains a discussion of human psychology, describes the salient characteristics of all religions, and contrasts religion and science as systems of thought. Historical sketches are used to establish a link between modernity and the use of the human capacity for reasoning to advance human welfare. The book describes the conditions under which democratic institutions can advance human welfare, and the nature of constitutional rights as protectors of individual freedoms. Extremist religions are shown to pose a threat to liberal democracy, a threat that has implications for immigration and education policies and the definition of citizenship.

ISBN 0521132738   Pages 460 ISBN13 9780521132732 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Cambridge University Press   Weight (grammes) 620 Imprint Cambridge University Press   Published in Cambridge Format Paperback   Height (mm) 228 Publication date 17 Aug 2009   Width (mm) 152 Library of Congress 2009010735   Spine width (mm) 24 DEWEY 321.8   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

1		Liberal Democracy		1
Pt. I		Fundamentals: Evolution, Psychology, Reasoning, and Religion
2		Evolution, Psychology, and Reason		31
3		Religion		51
Pt. II		A Historical Look at the State, Democracy, and Religion
4		The First States		79
5		Athens and Rome		93
6		The Caliphate		116
7		The Renaissance		136
8		The Enlightenment		159
9		Religion and Democracy After the French Revolution		197
		Epilogue to Part Two		235
Pt. III		The Institutions of Liberal Democracy
10		Democracy and Citizenship		239
11		Rights		271
12		Education, Citizenship, Immigration, and Democracy		316
Pt. IV		Challenges to Liberal Democracy
13		Democracy and Religion		355
14		Building and Protecting Liberal Democracy		400
		References		419
		Author Index		437
		Subject Index		442

'Mueller's new book tackles a very large question and approaches it with a very broad, but very fine brush. The first half of the book provides a biological explanation for the origin of both reason and religion and explores how reason and religion have affected the development of civilization and have, in turn, been affected by those civilizations. The second half of the book links religion and rationality to issues in contemporary politics. It focuses on such issues as the relationship between education, religion, and democracy; the effects of emigration; and constitutional design. I am impressed by the book and with the project itself. I found myself broadly sympathetic with the book's arguments and conclusions, and even where I disagree, the arguments are interesting and provocative.' Roger Congleton, George Mason University 'In addition to a wide-ranging and insightful discussion of religion and its history, Dennis Mueller analyzes religious intolerance and its lack of correlation with liberal democracy. One of the lessons in the book is that a competitive, 'private' market in religion is an institutional means of keeping such intolerance in check. Monopoly in religion, like elsewhere, is not very forgiving. Mueller is well known for his work in other areas; he is a major economist. In my view this is his best book. Those of you who know his other works realize that this is a strong endorsement indeed.' Robert Tollison, Clemson University 'Dennis Mueller reworks enlightenment themes, offering a wide-ranging and provocative defense of the values of reason and liberal democracy and a critique of the role of religion: wide-ranging in terms of both ideas deployed and historical contexts considered; provocative in treating both religious fundamentalism of all forms and religious diversity as threats to liberal democracy.' Alan Hamlin, University of Manchester 'This is bound to be a controversial book. Mueller argues for consideration of restricted franchise - with only those 'with more education or loyalty to the state' forming the electorate. He questions the wisdom of the 'freedom to educate one's children as one pleases' and raises doubts about relatively open immigration policies. He underlines what he sees as a basic tension between religion (the 'antithesis of science') and liberal democracy. Above all, it is a courageous book, tackling difficult and tender questions about how the delicate balance between liberalism and democracy can best be managed. Not everyone will agree with his position. But everyone should agree that the challenges he points to are genuine and highly significant in the contemporary world.' Geoffrey Brennan, Australian National University

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