Just as it was necessary to liberate government from religion
in order for the rule of law to prevail, so it is now necessary
to separate ethics from religion in order for basic moral principles
to in a similar way become universal. The first essential feature
of both rule of law and universal moral principle is that they are
based not on belief, but on logic and reason, which in turn depend
not on any external authority but rather on civil discourse and
structured debate. The second essential feature—and this is
quite remarkable—is that both the rule of law and universal moral
principle self-generate and self-organize in a natural, cyclical way
the very social context and climate of stability necessary for their
own sustained flourishing.