How to Think in an Age of Political Polarization

Catalog description

Americans today live in a time of deep political polarization, intellectual isolation, and intense partisanship. We rarely have genuine and open interactions with those with whom we disagree; when we do, we often do so on the assumption that they are not just wrong but are irrational and immoral. This class aims to explore this phenomenon in its sociological, political, ethical, and psychological dimensions. What are the causes, costs, and remedies of our polarization? Can friendships exist across ideological divides? Students are asked to openly discuss controversial political topics, while attempting to cultivate intellectual virtues and build a community of trust amid disagreement.