Abstract

Present discussions regarding »prominent« ethical issues time and again focus on the question whether firm ethical and religious beliefs should be privileged vis a vis the democratic rules of the distribution of power and the formation of majorities. The »ethics of the structure of power« teach us to consider the seemingly only formal rules to be »good«, for they allow to have open discussions between different views of»the good life«. The distinction between these two realms of»good« pose a problern to religious ethics and need to be considered in the ethics of democracy.