The role of religion/belief systems in perception of Democracy in Western and Eastern societies

Abstract

Until the Enlightenment, religion and belief systems, especially in western societies, were the sole source of every understandings related to social and moral values. There was not any significant change in this perspective till the French Revolution when new conceptions of modernity and the popular sovereignty emerged influentially. The perception of democracy based upon popular will, freedom from all kind of repressive governments and equality among citizens affected the belief system of all societies to a certain degree. In XIX. and  XX. centuries during which the idea of secular state understanding  became a part of political agenda and had a positive impact on western democracy. Nonetheless, the positive correlation between secularism and democracy could not be valid for all western societies. On the other hand, in the eastern societies where democracy conceived as the outcome of modernity and popular sovereignty, its role in the belief systems is still arguable. Moreover, the practices of democracy and how to implement democratic institutions in those societies is not apparent. Both in western and eastern societies, the belief systems have been affected by secularism and the content of relationship between secularism and religions is a vital factor in the formation and development of perception of democracy.