Genealogy of Secularism and Secularization

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There is much debate in post modern societies, what exactly secularism signifies? Does it have any significance at all, and if any, in what context it is known? Secularism in historical context was the product of European enlightenment, and the emergence of Nation-State after the Peace of Westphalia Treaty. Aftermath the decline of Church authority, civic moralities emerged through literary and philosophical works, as well as socio-political practices, and the Social Contract Theory was accepted as a method to find a descriptive and normative justification of the Nation-Station, in which, cultural and political notions of society were assimilated, and the anxiety of multi-cultural co-existence was deeply felt; after all, the Treaty of Westphalia was not a cause but the culmination of Holy war between various European powers. 

The demand for civic morality in the administration of justice and governance was considered as inevitable and natural course to follow, so as to ensure the blossoming aspect of rich as well as diversified opinions, and enriching ways of livings. After American Independence, the separation theory between religion and State, and the freedom of conscience were accepted as the fundamental postulate of classical secularism. In a way, Anglo-Saxon culture invented this political doctrine for the sake of multi-cultural enrichment, as well as to subdue the possibility of finding an "internal enemy" (Akeel Bilgrami) on the ground of culture. The idea of citizenship was accepted as the fundamental shift from 'human being'; from social and biological sense of being to abstract political entity, a personified reality. This term is often confused with "secularization",  which is based upon the premise that State should play an active role to inculcate civic morality in place of religious one (Ashis Nandi), in that sense, secularization is hyphenated with a dichotomous relationship to religious beliefs. Secularism, on the one hand, allows the practitioners of religion to pursue their religions, however it should not encroach into the domain of administration of justice and governance; secularization, on the other hand, is a process to install all encompassing civil morality, replacing the religious beliefs from the lives of its citizens. 

India adopted secularism instead of secularization through constitutional method of administration of justice and governance, whereas State will function as per the civil morality, nowadays popularly known as Constitutional Morality, and the right to freedom of faith and conscience, popularly known as freedom to practice, profess, and propagate, was  recognized as a fundamental right to every Indian citizen and other persons, residing withing the territory of India. India had diversified philosophies of religious, cultural, and linguistic pluralism; which has been advantageous in comparison to other civilizations in the history of humankind. Nevertheless, Secularism was not added in the preamble of the Constitution in literal sense, though subsequently added by 42nd Amendment Act, when our forefathers enacted and adopted the fundamental law of the land, but the principles enshrined from the schema of Preamble and the Fundamental Rights recognized under part III of the Indian Constitution, it was undeniably there in limine. 

In context of modern Europe, the demand and anxiety of multiculturalism is a new direction that world is leading towards, in which identity is not taken to be ossified due to certain beliefs or practices, rather "a culture of no culture" (Zizek) has been claimed as an alternative to the friend-enemy dichotomous relationship (Carl Schmitt) often visible around the world, whereas progressive and conservative ideologies are usually seen to claim and contest in favour of or against the right to identity. In this context, future of identity politics has no immediate end. Humanity as a species is one outside this planet and even within it, and to think within the context of nature, cosmos is a complete whole. There is a Gian science, hypothesized by James Lovelock, which suggests that the Earth has soul. In Buddhism and Taoism, it is believed that it is Earth which is living, instead of creatures living and perishing. In Hindu literature, Earth is considered as mother or nurturer; in all different cultures, our fate as a life is not dissimilar. That makes us one all encompassing reality. Life has no claim or counter-claim. It is alive, and to live by it is the greatest bliss I am enduring, so you are!