Pluralism and consensus in liberal democracy: An examination through John Rawls' political liberalism

Although the states in the late modern times are built on the idea of the nation-state, no states are consisting of completely homogeneous elements in today's liberal democratic societies, especially in the Western world. In these societies, which include individuals having different beliefs, worldviews, and understanding of the good life; numerous questions, demands, and problems derived from diversity, multiculturalism, and differences may arise. The foremost of these is how a stable political system with an inclusive democratic decisionmaking process that can ensure peaceful coexistence of differences is possible, and how to overcome the crisis of representation, legitimacy, and participation. Liberal democracy is based on the assumption that in a pluralistic society defined by differences; peace and stability can be achieved with a rational consensus reached through a public political debate based on strict separation and neutrality and secular reason. However, the political liberalism of John Rawls, which aims to respond to the criticisms of liberalism's rational consensus by remaining within the parameters of liberal theory, is based on the claim that an inclusive political system can be built with an overlapping consensus reached through a public political debate based on public reason and reasonableness. In this context, the main purpose of this study is to critically analyse the essential tenets of liberalism concerning pluralism and consensus and political liberalism of John Rawls which gives an alternative response to the criticism of representation, legitimacy, and participation crisis. The main argument raised in this study is that liberalism's essential theoretical and normative assumptions concerning pluralism and consensus are inherently valuable for generating living together with differences in peace and stability; however, political liberalism's overlapping consensus promises a more inclusive alternative formulation of public political debate than rational consensus does, and both perspectives are subject to objections in the name of inclusiveness. Methodologically, this thesis is a qualitative study in theoretical and analytical political philosophy. Keywords: Liberal democracy, rational consensus, John Rawls, political liberalism, overlapping consensus.