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Brouwer delivered the Oct. 25 Chapel Talk on the difficulties of having a conversation. He suggested a subtitle for his lecture, \u201cCivil Discourse and Verbal Combat.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile many encourage civil discourse, Professor of Philosophy Mark Brouwer would suggest such an approach doesn\u2019t go far enough.<\/p>\n
Brouwer delivered the Oct. 25 Chapel Talk on the difficulties of having a conversation. He suggested a subtitle for his lecture, \u201cCivil Discourse and Verbal Combat.\u201d<\/p>\n
He used a personal friendship as his example throughout his remarks. He and a friend, Matt, have been arguing for years. \u201cWe never agree on anything,\u201d Brouwer said. \u201cBut we agree the argument is worth having.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCivil discourse is not only, at times, inadequate \u2026 but neutral. Everyone must abide by the rules of civil discourse.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained a good verbal combat must have the common ground of trust, charity, humility and the desire to learn from one another. He doesn\u2019t enter conversation solely for the purpose of learning something as much as changing his own opinion \u2013 or, to learn something.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning requires changing one\u2019s opinion,\u201d Brouwer said. \u201cWhat we can achieve by verbal combat is the courage to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n