The Idea
The idea is that secular transformations do not merely displace religion from the public sphere; they also reveal that sanctification does not disappear easily. It may return in new forms within politics, the collective, or public symbols. Secularization here is therefore not understood as the direct opposite of sanctification, but as a moment that reveals what was latent in the cultural structure.
Condensed Formulation
Secular revolutions: reveal the hidden function of sanctification
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim appears within the book’s effort to dismantle major phenomena that seem, on the surface, to stand in opposition. Rather than presenting secularization as a final break with the sacred, it is read as an occasion for uncovering the persistence of needs for sanctification in other forms. In this way, the claim serves the broader argument that religious and political concepts overlap more than is commonly assumed.
Why It Matters
The importance of this claim lies in the way it prevents a superficial reading that sees secularization as a simple end of religion. It helps us understand Arkoun as concerned with what remains in culture after transformation, not only with what disappears. It also opens up the question of societies’ capacity to reproduce the sacred outside traditional religious frameworks.
Brief Evidence
It affirms that secular/worldly revolutions revealed a hidden function of sanctification Secular/worldly revolutions revealed a hidden function of sanctification
Reading Questions
- How can the secular experience reveal the persistence of sanctification rather than its end?
- Does this mean that the sacred moves from religion to politics, or does it take on a broader cultural form?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.