1) The Case for Disagreeing Well
- What does “disagreeing well” mean to you?
- When/why is it important?
- Are there limits to disagreeing well?
- What is the role of the university in facilitating discussion on contentious issues?
Read This:
- George, R.P. and West, C. (2017). ‘Truth Seeking, Democracy, and Freedom of Thought and Expression.‘
- Spence, M. (2023) ‘Opinion: Balancing humility and conviction is the art of disagreeing well’, UCL News, 31 August.
- Ross, L.J. (2019) ‘I’m a Black Feminist. I think Call-Out Culture is Toxic’, The New York Times, 29 August.
- Jamieson, K.H., Volinsky, A., Weitz, I. & Kenski, K. (2017) ‘The political uses and abuses of civility and incivility’. In Kenski, K. & Jamieson, K.H. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Political Communication. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 205–218.
Do This:
In class:
Think about an issue, topic, or belief on which your opinion has changed. How/why did your opinion change?
Homework:
Attend or watch (online) a Cambridge or Oxford Union debate of your choice on a topic that interests you. Write a short reflection journal on how the debate challenged and/or affirmed some of your previously held beliefs or assumptions.
Listen To This:
Robert George & Cornel West, Civil Discourse:
https://www.pbs.org/video/cornel-west-robert-george-vkwmab
Watch This:
Mia Forbes Pirie, Polarisation: The Dark Side of Compassion: