If we want moral reflection to play a larger role in public debate, maybe we should readmit religious arguments to the public square.
What role did moral arguments play in public debate before the Iraq War and after Abu Ghraib? The answer, say Douglas Porpora and his three Drexel University coauthors, depends a lot on what part of the public square you happened to be standing in. If you were close to the center, near the secular elites, you probably didn’t hear many moral arguments. And if you did, they were mostly sotto voce. But if you were close to the exits, you might have overheard some of the religious folk who were milling around on the periphery. They were much more likely to make moral arguments. So if we want moral reflection to play a larger role in public debate, say Porpora and colleagues, then maybe we should readmit religious arguments to the public square.