ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the ground rules and procedures that would allow a morally and culturally diverse humanity to engage in more inclusive social consensus and political decision-making. It reviews the ideas of “public reason” and “overlapping consensus,” addressed by leading Western and Muslim thinkers, such as John Rawls, Jürgen Habermas, and Abdullahi An-Na‘im, to come up with new understanding of pluralism and social consensus in the postmodern society. The chapter further explores the capacity of modern Muslims to engage in national and global debates to bring out overlapping consensus and ensure that political pronouncements and public policy continue to rely on public reason rather than subjective beliefs and understanding.
