Stockholm Colloquium in Philosophy: Robert B. Talisse (Vanderbilt University)
- When
-
- Location
- E487
- Language
- Swedish
- Organizer
- Stockholms universitet, Filosofiska institutionen
The Trouble with Civility
The Trouble with Civility Like most political ideals, civility is hotly contested. According to some, civility is central to the democratic project, while others contend that it is superfluous and perhaps even counterproductive. However, contestation over the ideal of civility is burdened by the fact that, whatever civility amounts to, it is supposed to specify the norms of political contestation itself. It is perhaps no wonder, then, that the discourses surrounding civility are so messy. This talk clarifies the role a conception of civility plays in our idea of responsible democratic citizenship. Then, it raises a problem that we must confront in formulating a conception of civility. The tragic upshot is that although democracy calls for a functional conception of civility, it is likely that no such conception is available in practice.This colloquium is arranged in collaboration with the Institute for Futures Studies.