Abstract
My dissertation lays a theoretical framework for rethinking the ways in which political and moral philosophers conceive pluralism and diversity in public life. I argue that many philosophers who write on the topic do not have a sophisticated understanding of religion, are not sufficiently attentive to historically produced power differentials, and/or do not adequately recognize the intersectional dimensions of diversity. Building on Jeffrey Stout’s notion of democracy as a social practice, and supplemented with Cornel West’s understanding of democratic faith, I use my more complex account of diversity to argue that pluralism is best approached as a social practice, instead of as a challenge that must be navigated by shared traditions or structures of justification.
Degree Date
Spring 5-16-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Religious Studies
Advisor
Rebekah Miles
Subject Area
Religion
Number of Pages
185
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Friedline, Mary Leah, "Pluralism as a Social Practice: A Pragmatist Approach to Engaging Diversity in Public Life" (2020). Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations. 21.
https://scholar.smu.edu/religious_studies_etds/21
Included in
Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, Feminist Philosophy Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Women's Studies Commons
