The resource uses the principles of "public reason giving" and the "veil of ignorance" as proposed by John Rawls to introduce the idea of secularist reasoning: decisions, whether motivated by religion or not, need to give an argument that is open to all. The stimulus defines these principles and gives examples, which students explore and critique in the exercises.

This resource (along with or instead of 1.07) makes a good primer for 1.08.

Politics | Religion & Belief Education | Citizenship | SMSC | Philosophy

• How do secularists think about decisions?
• What are religious privilege, tolerance and discrimination?

Basic

Students should demonstrate they can:

• Understand and articulate the principles of public reason giving and their relevance to how secularists and others think about decisions.
• Apply the principles of public reason giving to basic theoretical situations.

Advanced

In addition to the basic learning outcomes, students should demonstrate they can:

• Critically reflect on the principles of public reason giving and their relevance to how secularists and others think about decisions, drawing on a range of examples.
• Explore how the principles of public reason giving relate to key debates on social issues involving religion in society, drawing on a range of examples.