Episode 51: Civility and Consensus Are Overrated

Too many commentators today want a "return to civility" in political discourse. Osita Nwanevu, a staff writer at The New Republic, and Samuel Kimbriel, a political philosopher, think that's misguided—rather than ignoring our fundamental disagreements, we should be arguing about them much more honestly. This episode's example: Osita's proposal to abolish the U.S. Constitution.

Required Reading:

• Friendship as Sacred Knowing: Overcoming Isolation, by Samuel Kimbriel (Oxford University Press)

• “The Constitution Is the Crisis,” by Osita Nwanevu (The New Republic)

• "The Democracy Essays," by Samuel Kimbriel and Osita Nwanevu (Wisdom of Crowds)