Essay explores Pierre Manent's ideas on the religion of Humanity and its impact on true communities.
The French political philosopher Pierre Manent (b. 1949) has been tracking the European adventure for fifty years. In order to articulate his discoveries, he has coined a number of terms, chief of which are “political form” and “the religion of Humanity”. This essay presents a primer on his thought on the latter, an ersatz humanitarian faith that “is a veil to our eyes and a down comforter to our eyes.” Elevating an abstract idea of human unity, the religion obscures the true communities, political and spiritual, within which real mankind lives out its vocation.
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