Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales

Alain Touraine

Un débat sur la laïcité

  • Alain Touraine avec Alain Renaut
    Paris, Stock / les essais, 2005


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    A debate on Secularism
    Voted in March 2004, the law prohibiting "visible religious symbols" within public school grounds was much debated, but did not receive the in-depth discussion it deserves. For, beyond the narrow legislative topic, it yields valuable insights into French history and policies regarding the recognition of cultural diversity. Does France settle such issues differently than its European neighbors? And what is the situation in Canada, the United States, or Latin America? The purpose of this book is to consider the law of March 2004 as a means to shed light on major unresolved societal debates in France: over secularism, the role of the Government, and the place of religion in public policy. In this book, the two participants share the same Republican values, and the conviction that the Government must prevent the creation of isolated communities within the Republic. Beyond these areas of agreement, however, what is to be done? Alain Touraine argues that the law was necessary to confront the rise of religious extremism and violence, while Alain Renaut counters that the law was narrowly framed in response to widespread fears expressed in public opinion polls, and that it sets a pernicious precedent.



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