Civility and American Democracy: A National Forum

Spend a few minutes watching cable TV or a presidential debate and it’s easy to see: civil discourse is all but vacant in American politics. Question is, was it ever there in the first place? More importantly, how vital is it to a functioning democracy? And how, if at all, will civil discourse evolve in America? On February 17th, a group of leading scholars will gather at UMass Boston to discuss those questions and more as they jumpstart a national conversation about the role of civility in America’s public discourse. Spanning a range of disciplines—philosophy and history, religion and law—the scholars will present their own ideas about civil discourse and respond to questions and theories from both live and online audiences.