Secular religion essay: The example of Alain De Botton

This study mainly focuses on the solutions offered by Alain De Botton, one of the modern thinkers, to eliminate the meaning gap created by secularism in the individual and spiritual dissatisfaction. It is aimed to reveal whether these solution offers are based on rational foundations. Secularism, which has occupied the agenda of many thinkers in history, is one of the most important problems of today, as it was yesterday. Searching for and finding realistic approaches to this problem is undoubtedly possible with the correct diagnosis of the definition. In this study, which primarily deals with the definition and historical development of secularism, it has been tried to reveal what meanings this concept has both in history and today. On the other hand, it is targeted to show that the importance of the subject is increasing day by day and keeping up to date by examining the solution offered by famous thinkers in history to secularism and some of the new religious movements. De Botton, whose world of thought was shaped by being influenced by the attitude of his family during childhood and various events he experienced in youth, adopted atheism as a result; at the same time, realizing the meaning gap created by secularism and atheism, he entered into a search for a solution to this spiritual dissatisfaction. Although he accepts that the best solution offers are presented by religions as a result of his observations, since he thinks that religions are human fabrications, he claimed that this problem will be solved not by accepting a religion, but by approaching their useful sides in the form of an 'open buffet'. In this direction, he has made suggestions for solutions under various titles with reference to religions. As a result, this action, which we can also define as an attempt to create a secular religion; it can be said that it is utopian, shallow and far from rationality due to the fact that it is built solely on Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism, contains a God-free moral understanding, the essence of orientation underlying the practice of religious rituals by religious people cannot be understood, and claims such as that culture has the potential to replace religion.