On Religion Considered in Its Source, Its Forms, and Its Developments

Nietzsche opposed the idea that religion, even in its modern, individualized form, was a beneficial force.He saw Constant’s belief in th e moral and social importance of religion as a form of weak “slave morality” that hindered human greatness.

Durkheim took a sociological approach, agreeing with Constant that religion evolves but arguing that its primary function is to reinforce social cohesion, not individual liberty. Unlike Constant, Durkheim thought religious belief was an expression of collective identity, not merely personal…

Taylor revisits Constant’s idea that religion shifts from external coercion to personal belief, but he challenges whether this transition is truly liberating. Taylor argues that modern secularism doesn’t eliminate religion but transforms it into a more diffuse and often conflicted set of personal…

Lilla questions whether Constant’s vision of a modern, non-coercive religion is sustainable in a world where religious and political authority are often deeply intertwined. He suggests that the separation of faith from political life is more fragile than Constant assumed.

MacIntyre criticizes liberal individualism, which Constant sees as essential to religious liberty. He argues that modern society, in breaking away from religious traditions, has lost a shared moral foundation, leading to moral fragmentation.

Constant’s classic work in which he contrasts unfavorably the purely political liberties of the ancients with the far more expansive notion of liberty among the moderns.

Acton’s essays explore the history of religious liberty and its role in shaping Western political thought.

In these essays, Berlin discusses the balance between positive and negative liberty, which relates to Constant’s distinction between ancient and modern liberty.