The Protestant architects of secularism conceived of the world in terms of individuals. It was the solitary human being, not the community, who composed the fundamental unit of political analysis and moral redemption. The architects were deeply suspicious and mistrustful of religious majorities. All sought to protect the individual conscience from the tyrannical impulses of such a majority. The Enlightenment architects went a step further. They endeavored to safeguard not only the individual, but also the state from these threats.
