RELIGIJA I POLITIKA
RELIGION AND POLITICS

Summary/Abstract: The author begins with a brief history of the relationship between religion and politics. During that history, two revolutions – the American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789) brought about a major change of direction, leading to two significant achievements: the separation of religion from politics, and the differentiation between state and society. Until these revolutions, everything was based on the collective; after them, it was based on the individual. Niklas Luhmann and Hermann Lüber represent individualistically based politics, while Charles Taylor and Alasdair MacIntyre regard individualistically based politics as unsustainable. The philosopher who preceded them in criticizing individualistically based politics was G. W. F. Hegel. The author arrives at the following thesis: individualistically-based politics are unstable, and have major shortcomings, since in times of crisis – whether major or minor, and whether provoked from within or without – such politics are readily transformed into their very opposite, into collectivism, and the abolition of the freedom of the individual. What needs to be found is a form of politics so based that they will not lead to collectivism and totalitarianism.

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