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Why Liberal State Funding of Denominational Schools Cannot be Unconditional: a reply to Neil Burtonwood
Author(s) -
Snik Ger,
De Jong Johan
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/j.0309-8249.2005.00423.x
Subject(s) - state (computer science) , library science , sociology , mathematics , computer science , algorithm
In this article we take up Burtonwood's criticism of our view that liberal states should, under certain conditions, fund denominational schools. We not only reject his plea for the accommodation of strong faith schools by liberalism but also criticise his portrayal of the character of the conflict between liberals and strong faith school advocates. Arguing that liberalism is not part of the diversity of goods, we maintain that liberals and strong faith school advocates should not be seen as competing on the same playing field. Rather, liberalism transcends the battleground both by enabling and conditioning the competition between adherents of rival conceptions of the good.