About
Gandhi said that “honest disagreement is often a sign of progress.” Nietzche declared that “he who cannot put his thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of dispute.” Few concepts define the human experience more than disagreement. At its worst, disagreement can provoke war, misery, and suffering. Yet at its best, it can propel the heights of human flourishing, enabling world-shifting innovations and peace through the vetting of truth and great ideas. How can we—as individuals and as a society—thrive when we disagree about fundamental values, religious touchstones, beliefs, ideas, and the purpose of life itself? Why do communities today seem so polarized, and are these divisions fated to persist? What role do our identities and lived experiences play in informing our worldviews? And how might we better engage with diverse viewpoints to foster more productive and inclusive conversations in our personal and public lives?
In this signature course, we explore the timeless art of disagreement, offering a singular learning experience for students to discover what it means to foster civil discourse on key political, civic, and social controversies. The class examines the theoretical and conceptual foundations for effective communication in polarized environments, and probes the cognitive, psychological, and sociological factors that shape our opinions and views. Using an intensive, discussion-based lecture and seminar format, students will immerse themselves in state-of-art research, evidence, data, and best-practices bearing on disagreement. Practically, participants will gain applied skills in critical thinking and persuasion, and learn how to disagree well about contentious topics. By the end of the class, students will grasp the value of disagreement, why it is essential to human flourishing, and how to persuade and learn from others with deftness, rigor, compassion, acumen, and even joy.
The creation of the course was made possible by a Signature Course Fellowship at the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good at the University of Notre Dame.