Religious Exemptions and Democratic Theory: Individual Freedom or Collective Rights
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/isegoria.2026.74.1802Keywords:
religion, democracy, collective rights, Social Identity Theory, Rational Choice TheoryAbstract
This article investigates the theoretical foundations of religious exemptions in democratic systems, focusing on the perennial conflict between safeguarding individual religious liberty and ensuring collective rights to equal treatment under the law. Through a detailed comparative analysis of liberalism, communitarianism, and deliberative democracy, it explores how these democratic paradigms conceptualize and address disputes arising from religious exemptions. By employing Social Identity Theory to examine the role of religious group dynamics and Rational Choice Theory to assess strategic motivations behind exemption claims, the study reveals nuanced insights into the interplay of identity and politics. The findings indicate that liberalism prioritizes individual autonomy, communitarianism emphasizes communal values, and deliberative democracy seeks procedural resolutions, yet each approach exhibits distinct limitations in fully reconciling these tensions. To address these shortcomings, the article proposes a hybrid framework that integrates elements of all three theories, aiming to accommodate diverse religious claims within pluralistic democratic societies. The discussion concludes with practical implications for policymakers and suggestions for future research to further refine this balance.
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