Public Morals Are Determined by Society
Editorial verification status: This atom is extracted from an explanatory audiovisual source, and has now been linked to the closest books within the Shahrur project at the book level. For precise academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur holds that what is considered polite or impolite is not settled religiously, but is determined by society according to its public morals and custom.
Explanation
He distinguishes between legal-religious judgment and social regulation. Society, in his view, has the right to determine what accords with custom and what runs against it. This determination is variable and does not bind all societies to the same standard. For that reason, he rejects turning social morals into rulings of prohibition and permissibility.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom completes the rebuttal of the idea of prohibiting the arts, by shifting the standard of regulation from jurisprudence to society.
Limits of the claim
This does not mean abolishing moral values or allowing behavior without constraints.
Brief evidence
“Society has the right to decide this… in accordance with public morals.”
Nearby links
- Shahrur - the civil state
- Shahrur - freedom
- Shahrur - jurisprudence