Can a Democratic Constitutional State Succeed without Religiously Informed Legitimazing Foundations?

The present article is intended to contribute to the reflection on the normative foundations of the constitutional state in the context of the debate on contemporary articulations of Carl Schmitt’s heritage of political theology within the liberal tradition of political philosophy. This paper explores the cornerstones of Schmitt’s account and analyzes its critique from both purely theological (focusing on Eric Peterson) and purely philosophical (emphasizing Jürgen Habermas) standpoints. Finally, it examines whether a democratic state can be ultimately based on the secular sources of legitimacy or it still requires certain religiously informed legitimizing foundations. The study might be of interest to not only scholars, but also to the public in general, especially those, who reflect on the application of ethical patterns to the political and social life.