Morality is the principal condition for the emergence of the community as well as the grounds for a prosperous society regardless of the time. However, the perception of this aspect of human life differs depending on the structure instilled by the world governments. What is more important, the true meaning of the term is distorted since it relates to unity in the first place in contrast to the current preference of separation (Macintyre 2007, 37). The same applies to the existing division of fields under the concept of secularism. Hence, the modern state teaches justice, logic, and reason as its main virtues and thereby confirms its seeming suitability to the present era while neglecting the moral considerations.
The first notion is justice, and it is primarily emphasized by political leaders who strive to ensure everyone’s equality concerning opportunities and, consequently, self-development for the progress of society. Such an individualized approach implies the orientation on one’s talents and other potentials compared to the previously valued combined efforts of all citizens in the initiatives (Macintyre 2007, 7). Meanwhile, highlighting the significance of this virtue does not indicate its suitability for the targeted areas, including healthcare and education (Macintyre 2007, 7). In this way, the authorities aim at providing everyone with access to corresponding services while ignoring the infeasibility of this idea without uniting people for the achievement of common goals.
The second term presented by the secular state as a virtue is logic, which is deemed to be useful for demonstrating the phenomenon accompanying the world population’s trends. It is also widely implemented in science, which attempts to analyze all social events through the lens of generalizations (Macintyre 2007, 88). In other words, this concept is believed to be a solution to all types of problems and, therefore, greatly appreciated by the authorities.
Nevertheless, the particular attention paid to logical explanations as opposed to moral principles inevitably leads to the failure stemming from biases and the lack of precision in the outcomes (Macintyre 2007, 88). From this point of view, the low predictive power of this method, when complemented by justice, results in the promotion of policies based on inaccurate and inappropriate assumptions.
Finally, the third virtue enhancing secularism as the predominant type of the structural organization of society is reason. It indicates the need for justification of moral beliefs for their successful adoption by the citizens (Macintyre 2007, 38). The model deriving from this practice means creating new standards, which can be empirically confirmed while neglecting the wisdom of many generations of people and the Biblical teachings. The latter states that it is critical to comply with the rule “over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” as per Colossians 3:14 (Bible Study Tools, n.d.). Undoubtedly, the state in its present form does not address this aspect and fails to provide a sufficient basis for developing morality.
To conclude, the main virtues under the concept of secularity are justice, logic, and reason, and they are revealed through the practical implementation of various objectives. The first idea is intended for ensuring everyone’s equality, whereas the second principle is used for explaining current realities. In turn, the third notion is unsuccessfully applied to the task of creating moral guidance for people. Nonetheless, their combination cannot substitute Christian morality due to these points’ lack of clarity and disagreement between the members of society regarding their definitions and applicability.
References
Bible Study Tools. n.d. “Colossians 3:14.” 2021. Web.
Macintyre, Alasdair. 2007. After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.