"Are We Doing Civility Wrong?" Apr. 1 (W) at 3:30pm

[Daniel Lake]

 *The Institute for Ethics in Public Life invites you to join us for "Are
we doing civility wrong?" On Wednesday, April 1, at 3:30pm in-person and on
Zoom.*

As an essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-campus-civility-collapse&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1775053349604923&usg=AOvVaw3OYhviVYjEnRSI9DUC6nqn>
notes, colleges and universities, particularly public ones, are finding it
difficult to navigate the tension between their commitment to diversity and
their commitment to free speech. A diverse student body will inevitably
include diverse perspectives on many issues, and expressing some of those
perspectives will provoke and offend other students. In response to these
conflicts we often see calls for civility. But what does that mean, and is
it really the right response for a university?

The essay defines "civility" as "an idea how people should act, especially
when they disagree." Civility standards are seen as critical for mediating
tensions within societies arising from the diversity of the members of
society (especially in their views about religious and political subjects),
the frequency of open disagreements about sensitive subjects, and social
cohesion. Homogeneous societies with little open disagreement about
sensitive subjects will find it easier to maintain social cohesion (an
important good), while heterogeneous societies with substantial variation
in perspectives on contentious subjects will need strong civility standards
to govern open disagreement if they want to preserve social cohesion.

There are three basic sets of civility standards rooted in Enlightenment
philosophy. The first is to* avoid open disagreement*. This comes from
Thomas Hobbes, who thought it was better to remain silent or even lie about
one's perspective rather than openly disagree with a statement on religion
or politics. It is OK to disagree, but keep it private.

The second comes from John Locke, who argued that open disagreement could
be safe if the participants engaged in discussion with "*civil charity*,"
from a perspective of general good-will and regard for all. If we loved and
respected others, we would not respond to disagreement with contempt or
condemnation, and this largely defuses the dangers of disagreement.

The third is "*mere civility*" - simple adherence to social courtesies
during public interaction. This standard, from Roger Williams, seeks to
make coexistence possible even between people who despise each other (over
their religious or political perspectives and values) by preserving "civil
peace." Public disagreement, even vehement disagreement,  was OK as long as
it was polite.

The author argues that universities have tended to try to follow Locke's
strategy and establish norms of civil charity and toleration, but struggled
to do so because it is hard to figure out what mutual respect and inclusion
entail in practice. Resulting vehement disagreements have been followed by
measures such as diversity training, speech codes, and bias-response teams
that impose the administration's perspective on the university's values.
Perspectives that differ from those are shut down, in effect an imposition
of Hobbes' solution.

The author thinks that civil charity is only an option for institutions
with relatively homogeneous student bodies, whether religious (Brigham
Young) or political (Antioch). Instead, what she argues is that
universities that are committed to a diverse student body *and *the
traditional mission of the university as seeking truth should adopt mere
civility as the civic standard.

Please join us in person in the Thomas Moran Seminar Room of the Institute
for Ethics in Public Life (Hawkins 233) or on Zoom (see below).

Topic: Civility on campus
Time: Apr 1, 2026 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/88133280992
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/88133280992&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1775053349604923&usg=AOvVaw15sEf4haXVu69TwFYvqUvd>

Meeting ID: 881 3328 0992
---
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+16469313860,,88133280992# US
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-- 

*Daniel Lake*

(pronouns: he/him/his)

Professor of Political Science

Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life

Hawkins 149A

101 Broad Street
<https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g>

Plattsburgh, NY 12901
<https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g>

(o) 518-564-5833 <(518)%5645833>

*plattsburgh.edu <http://plattsburgh.edu/>*
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