The notion that ethical values are ultimately anchored in religion is eroding, according to Dr. John Thorp, guest speaker at the Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics Lecture held Monday, November 11, 2013 at Gzowski College. In his presentation, entitled "Ethics, Sex & Religion: a Tectonic Shift,” Dr. Thorp proposed that a new paradigm of post-secularism is emerging, in which religious thought and the values of the public sphere are interpenetrating each other.

Dr. Thorp used the tenth anniversary of Ontario’s Court of Appeal ruling that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, as an opportunity to examine how the grounding of ethical values has shifted in recent years.

“Ten years ago, the rhetoric around gay marriages was incredibly shrill. But today, society is very at ease with the idea,” said Dr. Thorp, suggesting that a fundamental change has taken place in how we understand ethical values are grounded. “During the gay marriage debate there was a sharp divorce between ethics and religion, between religious authorities and the secular community. As a result, many religious authorities lost their credibility as moral arbiters.”

Describing the shift from religious-based ethics to secular-based ethics, Dr. Thorp pointed out that secular ethics tend to have a broader reach of interests than religious ethics. “The church is not known for saying a lot about matters such as environmentalism, feminism, and income disparity,” he said.

He contrasted the concept of vertical secularism, which is connected to atheism, with horizontal secularism, which is apart from both atheism and theism. Horizontal secularism, he argued, presented an irenic ideal that suggests people who come from different religious traditions can live together peaceably, which is necessary in a pluralistic society.

In conclusion, Dr. Thorp acknowledged that religions are not going to go away and are not going to be taken over by atheism. Instead, he suggested an emergence of post-secularism, in which religions contribute to the values of secularism and the values of horizontal secularism contribute to religious thought. Citing the example of same-sex marriage, he said “Many religions are beginning to accept gay marriage. They have been infected by the secular culture, while secular culture is deriving some of its values, such as benevolence and honesty, from religions.”

Dr. John Thorp earned his B.A. at Trent University in 1970. In describing his time at Trent, he praised the small classes and intimate learning environment, saying “There was a very deliberate attempt to make people part of an intellectual community that integrated work and socializing.” At Oxford University, he earned a B.Phil. in 1972 and a D.Phil. in 1976. He is currently a member of the Philosophy Department, Graduate Faculty in Classical Studies, Graduate Faculty in Theology, and the Rotman Institute of Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario. His interests include ancient Greek philosophy and science, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

The Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics was established in 2010 by members of the Drain and Patterson families in honour of Kenneth Drain, described as “a quintessential son of Peterborough.” Having lived and worked in Peterborough County all his life, Kenneth Drain was an exemplary volunteer and lived a life of quiet deeds.