On polarization and what to do about it
John Inazu, Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving through Deep Difference (University of Chicago Press, 2018, enlarged edition)
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Inazu's book, "Confident Pluralism," addresses the challenges of living together in a deeply divided United States. It explores the foundational creed of pluralism in America, arguing for civic practices of tolerance, humility, and persuasion over coercion. The book provides guidelines for a society and legal system that protect personal beliefs and differences, aiming to foster a healthier future of coexistence despite deep differences. It includes a new preface discussing recent political events, emphasizing the importance of institutions that bring people together and defend the unprotected.
- Author website: https://www.jinazu.com/confident-pluralism/
- Author interview with Ben Klutsey: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/confident-pluralism
Robert Talisse, Overdoing Democracy: Why We Must Put Politics in its Place (Oxford University Press, 2019)
- "Overdoing Democracy: Why We Must Put Politics in its Place" by Robert Talisse argues that the pervasive politicization of everyday life undermines democracy itself. Talisse observes that the expansion of democracy into nearly all aspects of life, fueled by belief polarization and the tendency to socially sort ourselves into like-minded groups, exacerbates political divisions. This saturation of politics into daily life not only intensifies our differences but also hampers our ability to engage in cooperative activities unrelated to politics, which are essential for a healthy democracy. He contends that for democracy to thrive, citizens must sometimes engage in activities where politics is beside the point, fostering what he terms "civic friendship" and engaging in non-political spaces to counteract the effects of polarization and social sorting.
- Author website: https://sites.google.com/site/rtalisse/home
- Author interview with Ben Klutsey: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/the-democratic-dilemma
- See also his 2021 follow-up, Sustaining Democracy: What We Owe to the Other Side.
Mónica Guzmán, I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times (BenBella Books, 2022)
- Mónica Guzmán’s I Never Thought of It That Way is a book on enhancing dialogue across political and social divides. Guzmán, drawing from her experiences as a journalist and a liberal daughter of Trump-supporting Mexican immigrants, argues that curiosity is a crucial tool for understanding differing perspectives. She offers strategies for asking questions and engaging in conversations that can bridge gaps in understanding, advocating for a less divided society through better, more empathetic communication. The book is a call to use curiosity to foster connections rather than divisions.
- Author website: https://www.moniguzman.com/
- Author interview with Ben Klutsey: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/having-the-tough-conversations
Danielle S. Allen, Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality (Liveright, 2014)
- Danielle Allen's "Our Declaration" is a detailed examination of the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing its commitment to equality as much as to freedom. Allen, a classicist and political philosopher, provides a close reading of the text, arguing that while it has often been used to highlight freedom, its deeper and more sustained message is one of equality. This work is not just an academic exercise but a personal one for Allen, who uses her background and experiences to argue that the Declaration is a collective document, a piece of democratic writing that has been edited and shaped by many hands. She asserts that understanding the Declaration in this way can have profound implications for our current political life, as it requires active and informed citizenship. The book spans multiple genres, combining personal narrative, historical analysis, and political philosophy to reclaim the Declaration as a living document that belongs to all and that demands a continued commitment to the ideals of equality it embodies.
- Author website: https://www.americatheindivisible.org/
- Author interview with Ben Klutsey: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/a-matter-of-trust
On classical liberalism
Emily Chamlee-Wright, “The Four Corners of Liberalism: Mapping Out a Common Ground” (2022), https://profectusmag.com/the-four-corners-of-liberalism-mapping-out-a-common-ground/
- Excerpt: “With illiberalism on the rise at both political extremes, [the liberal] project is under threat. In this moment, it’s essential that we map out the common ground on which left-of-center liberals, classical liberals, and small-government conservatives stand, so that we can more effectively resist these threats. . . . I suggest we map out the common ground of liberalism by first recognizing what I call the “Four Corners of Liberalism”: political liberalism, economic liberalism, epistemic liberalism, and cultural liberalism. . . . The Four Corners mapping gives us a way out of this problem [of huddling in one corner] by allowing us to see our liberal fellows at the other edge of shared liberal terrain.