Civil Discourse: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter at College?

Civil discourse is a commitment to thinking out loud together with others in classrooms and other settings. It provides a way for people to recognize and reckon with difference and disagreement, and to see this as a way of increasing mutual understandings and also shared understandings of important issues and ideas. In this talk, Dr. Randy Boyagoda will discuss the importance of civil discourse as a way to overcome divides, conflicts, and extreme positions between members of the same community. He will argue that it matters at college because it contributes to the common good, advances knowledge, and supports the pursuit of truth.

Check out the PLS website for our full line-up of fall speakers.