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donate Summary for Reset 104 (2007)
HABERMAS AND LAICITY
A lay philosopher and the debate on the role of religion into the public sphere. Bishop Vincenzo Paglia responds to Jürgen Habermas's courageous thesis, in a face to face debate and underlying the role of religion as a compass for citizens. Alessandro Ferrara wonders about the meaning to be given to the term "laicity".
COMMUNISM IN FRONT OF POPPER'S COURT
The failure of communist egalitarian utopia in the analysis made by its liberal opponents. Articles by Franco Sbarberi (about Marx), Marco Revelli (about Koestler), Giancarlo Bosetti (about Popper).
IMMIGRATION: RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Robert Putnam: cultural diversity drives towards building up social ties of a new kind. In a new study, the sociologist and author of Bowling alone confronts the impact of immigration on social capital. On a short-to-medium term perspective, immigration and ethnical diversity put social solidarity into question and undermine social capital; while on a long term perspective, those societies which successfully deal with immigration, develop new forms of social solidarity.
DOES THE STATE NEED RELIGION?
In a new contribution, Ernst Wolfang Böckenförde, the Catholic philosopher close to Ratzinger proves to be more liberal and lay than his well-known "diktum" on liberalism moral deficit. In his essay, he maintains that democratic legality has its own and autonomous ethos. Six scholars, historians and philosophers discuss with him: Emilio Gentile (in Europe, it is too dangerous to "claim the cultural roots of the Christian tradition as a foundation for the ethics of a secularized State."), Paolo Pombeni, Elisabetta Galeotti, Teresa Bartolomei, Michele Nicoletti.
ISRAEL, HOW AN ETHNICAL STATE IS BORN
Why one should not be afraid of defining Israel as an ethnical state. In an essay, David Bidussa intertwines political theory, religious culture and history to identify the real nature of sionism democracy, as well as the information that Israel's history might suggest for the creation of a Palestinian state. Vanna Vannuccini interviews the Israeli historian Tom Segev about the meaning of the Six Day war 40 years later.
PD, IS IT THE ANSWER TO ANTI-POLITICS?
After a hot September with castes and Beppe Grillo, after the mobilization for the primary elections and Veltroni's appointment, will the democratic party manage to move the political marsh? Carlo Carboni, Mauro Calise and Sara Bentivegna analyze the Italian situation where promises have difficulties being kept.
POLAND, WHAT DAY'S DAWN?
Interview with Bronislaw Geremek by Bimba De Maria. After last October and the election defeat, is the "K(aczynski) factor" over? And will winner Donald Tusk's "uncontrolled neo-liberalism" be restrained? How avoid the devastating effects of Lustracja's law, imposed by the twins? How explain the success of xenophobic radio Radio Marjia? The future of Poland is analyzed by one of its main politicians and intellectuals.
LAICITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
A new meaning of laicity is coming from human rights. A lecture by Ioanna Kucuradi, the prominent Turkish philosopher, about one of the notions that strikes our contemporary world. "Religious and cultural norms in general should not determine the deduction of law, as well as the arrangement and administration of public affairs, so that human rights can determine them.
Published 2007-12-12
Original in Italian
© Reset
© Eurozine
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