Positivism and secularism

Secularism as liberation: God is no more public concern

Gazettes are filled with the shouts of self-proclamed donors of lessons on secularism, which are really theological minds with a false nose.  One of the latest examples is  Chantal Delsol (Le Figaro, 26/08/2016 : "famous French secularism is nothing other than the obligation to silence his religion... the famous French tolerance of human rights applies ultimately only to those who look like us in every way... strange tolerance! Personally I find insane allowed these women to swim in their traditional garb (sic!) ".

So I found useful to recall  the positivist conception of secularism – for  Positivism is a current of thought which have played a significant role in the separation of Church and State in France.

Secularism is based on the principle of the separation of temporal and spiritual powers,  sound base of real anti-totalitarian thought since the confusion of the two can only lead to a dictatorship "where there is no alternative between the most abject submission and direct revolt" (Auguste Comte). In practice, it was summarized by Pierre Laffitte, Auguste Comte main disciple : "God is no longer of public order". 

On the other hand, no society, thought Comte, cannot live without a "common social doctrine": "in a population where the concourse of individuals to public order can no longer be determined by the voluntary and moral assent granted by all to a common social doctrine, there is no other expedient, to maintain harmony, that the sad alternative of  force or corruption." 

Finally, secularism fits in the great movement of theological emancipation of humanity, in a program first empirically followed in the intellectual development of mankind, then clearly claimed by the French Enlightenment : after being driven out of astronomy (ancient Greek), physics (Galilee to Laplace), chemistry (Lavoisier to Pasteur), biology (Darwin), God is now denied any role in the organisation of societies (sociology of Auguste Comte).

Secularism is not neutrality

Secularism is not neutrality. The secular State cannot be neutral when religions, apart from their temples, churches, mosques, want, openly or not, take control of public space and place themselves in contradiction with the common social doctrine of our societies. Thus, a religion has every right to teach in its temples that apostasy lead to death (of the soul?) ; but in the public space, it must be clear and clearly proclaimed that abandoning his religion is an absolute right. Thus, we considered that the fact that a Priest, a Rabbi, an Imam, a llama walking in the street  in their clerical suit is not in itself an offence against secularism (a reasonable accommodation that took some time- remember the “croa” accompanying priests in black in french streets -  finally a good idea that allows you to know at the outset who you are dealing with).

Therefore, there is no reason to prevent a nun in uniform to plunge feet into the water on a beach ; however, the secular State should intervene appropriately against the wearing of a veil masking the figure or a burkini on a beach, because they show a willingness to impose religious precepts in public space, precepts demeaning women, in complete contradiction with our common social doctrine which proclaims the equality of men and women and strives to make it more real (and there is still to do, which is another reason not to tolerate the retrograde attempts!) 

Similarly, if our common social doctrine considered the suffering of animals at  “halal” slaughter as unbearable (and there is a European directive in this sense) and impose stunning before killing , well the religions should adjust. Thus, Danish Muslim representatives simply decreed that animals stunned before being slaughtered were “halal”…

It's not that complicated, secularism, when we really want to defend it !

N.B the new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan allowed himself to criticize the French laws on islamic veil and burqinis ; but he did censor in London bare and retouched photos of top models.

Not a great incentive to elect a muslim as mayor in a major french city !

Eric Sartori

Le Socialisme d'Auguste Comte, aimer, penser, agir au XXIème siècle, l'Harmattan 2012