Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2012, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (6): 25-56.

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Genesis and Course of “The Religion of Humanity”: A Process of Molding Modern Society

  

  1. ZHANG Weizhuo, Department of Sociology, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Science
  • Online:2012-11-20 Published:2012-11-20
  • Contact: ZHANG Weizhuo, Department of Sociology, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Science. E-mail: zwz.88820@163.com E-mail:zwz.88820@163.com

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Abstract:

Facing with the general crisis of politics and region since the late Middle Ages, the “Civil Religion” formed by Machiavelli provides a possibility to build modern order. But after having destroyed the “natural” base in the classic sense of cosmology and politics, Machiavelli’s Epicurean view of “nature” could not set up the universal foundation for the human nature and politics of modern people. Hence, the effort to mold modern society through the secular religion must return to the question of Christianity itself. The developmental course of modern human nature and the genesis of society should be examined with the fundamental propositions in Theodicy and their changes in the modern sense being the main theme. Voluntarism from the late Middle Ages impels individual “accidental” existence to acquire ontic position, and the Religion of “human nature” established by Humanists propels the turning of traditional Theodicy to interpreting human spirit and human nature. From this point, real sectarian conflicts and dissociated consciousness since the Reformation implies inherently the foundation of unifying modern human nature. Descartes’ Cogito provides human nature the “natural” base and stimulates the philosophy of the Enlightenment to develop the human nature universally. Rousseau’s “Civil Religion” is “the Religion of human nature” essentially, and it combines with the destructive forces in Revolution. On the ruins of Revolution, the Conservatives try to inlet the transcendental “Social” to build the sacral order. But Comte relativizes the absolute “Social” through historical thought. In this way, the analytical object of Comte’ s theory is not human nature, but “social ties.” The meaning of Humanity from Comte is just the social ties’ self-improving and historical progress. The conflict between “politics” and “society” inherent to this “Religion of Humanity” yet causes predicament of proving the possibility of modern society.

Key words: civil religion human nature, the Religion of Humanity, the social , theodicy