Learning to Disagree

Location TBD, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9:00 am - 10:22 am

Spring 2027 (3 credits)

Description 

This course explores how people with deeply different beliefs can live, learn, and argue together in a diverse democracy. The course begins with the premise that no one approaches public life or interpersonal relationships from a neutral standpoint: our convictions are shaped by family, culture, habit, and experience. Students will examine their own formative influences and then confront the reality of pluralism in our country — persistent and often profound disagreements about moral, political, and religious questions.

From that foundation, the course develops practical skills for engaging across differences with intellectual humility, empathy, and clarity. Students will analyze why disagreements escalate, how better arguments can be made and heard, and why constitutional protections for speech, assembly, and religious liberty are essential for a society marked by deep disagreement.

Through readings, structured dialogue, and case studies involving contested issues such as religious freedom, free speech, protests, abortion, and other flashpoints in public life, the course will better equip students to argue vigorously without dehumanizing those with whom they disagree.

Objectives 

  • TBD

Course Listing

This is an interdisciplinary course cross-listed with religion and politics, political science, American Culture Studies, legal studies, and religious studies. It qualifies for the Humanities (HUM) and Social Differentiation (SD) course attributes. [request and verify cross-listings and attributes]

Texts

Most of the course materials are provided under the academic fair use exception to copyright law. I will also give you a copy of my book, Learning to Disagree.

Our core intellectual work will be based upon selections for the following texts (listed in order of our engagement with them):

  • Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue:

  • Heclo?

  • Carr

  • Ben-Porath?

  • Levin?

You are welcome to acquire these texts if you wish to read them on your own, but I will provide copies of the relevant excerpts for purposes of our class.

Attendance and Class Participation 

The class participation component will be based on my evaluation of your interactions, preparedness, and thoughtfulness. That includes attendance, promptness, and active participation. I recognize that many of you will have foreseen and unforeseen conflicts, and I will accommodate those at the margins. But you should not take this course if you think you will miss a significant number of classes.

If you are unable to attend class on a given day (or you are unprepared but would still like to attend class), you will need to email your teaching assistant in advance of class. Emailing your teaching assistant in advance of class will result in being marked for one absence (and if you are in attendance, I won’t call on you). Absent extenuating circumstances, failing to email in advance of a class for which you are absent or in which you demonstrate a clear lack of preparedness will result in being marked for two absences. You may have up to four absences for any reason. (This means four absences with advance notice to me, two unexcused absences, or some combination of these.) In most cases, exceeding four absences will adversely affect your final grade.

Course Requirements and grading

Your course grade will be based on analysis papers (20%), an in-class mid-term essay exam (35%), an in-class final essay exam (40%), and class participation (5%). Be sure to my writing guidelines for any written submissions. [REVIEW GRADING COMPONENTS]

Reflection papers

  • [DESCRIBE] Reflections are due by 5pm CT on Thursday.

Exams

  • There will be an in-class essay mid-term assignment and an in-class essay final exam. [REVIEW]

Interviews and Peer Interviews

Class participation

  • The class participation component of your grade is based on instructor and teaching assistant evaluations of your interactions, preparedness, and thoughtfulness. That evaluation includes attendance, promptness, and active participation. In addition to the component of your grade based on you the participation in your weekly discussion sections, I may make slight adjustments upward or downward for class participation. Distraction or inattentiveness due to online engagement may lower your course grade.

  • In addition, your class participation grade will depend upon your good faith participation in three qualitative interviews: (1) an interview with your teaching assistant at the beginning of the semester; (2) a paired interview with another student enrolled in the course; and (3) an interview with your teaching assistant at the end of the semester. These interviews are intended to help you reflect more deeply on the course materials. We will also use your (anonymized) responses to create broader evaluations of the course’s content and goals.

You may not use electronic devices during the class absent an approved accommodation. If you have an urgent matter that requires you to check a text, catch up on social media, or shop online, please step outside of the classroom to do so. Even if you think you are checking your phone discretely, you usually are not.

Finally, keep in mind that the classroom is a learning environment. We are tackling some intellectually and emotionally difficult material, and people in this class are going to make mistakes. Listen well, speak kindly, and be patient with one another other. Unless otherwise specified, our class discussions are intended for students enrolled in the course not for sharing publicly with attribution.

Communication

I will hold office hours by appointment (in my law school office or over zoom) on _____. You can schedule an appointment here. You can also email me to schedule a different time. You should feel free to come individually or as a group.

You can also email me with questions or concerns. I will make every effort to respond to your emails within one day of your having sent them, with the exception of emails sent over the weekend or holidays, which I will answer by the following business day. You should feel free to use office hours not only to discuss our substantive readings but also to obtain help on your writing, to ask questions about law school or graduate school, or to talk about other academic or career interests.

Schedule

[LINK TO INDIVIDUAL DAYS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Jan 20: Rules of the Game
Jan 22: Discussion Sections

Jan 25: Who You Are
Jan 27: Where You're From
Jan 29: NO CLASS

Week of Jan 25-29: Initial interview with Teaching Assistant

Feb 1: Where You Are
Feb 3: Where You're Going
Feb 5: Discussion Sections

Feb 8: The Fact of Pluralism
Feb 10: Responding to Pluralism
Feb 12: Discussion Sections

Feb 15: How to Think About Thinking
Feb 17: Traditions and Social Practices
Feb 19: Discussion Sections

Feb 22: Social Media
Feb 24: News and Information
Feb 26: Discussion Sections

Mar 1: Institutions and Expertise
Mar 3: Cancel Culture
Mar 5: Discussion Sections

Mar 8: The First Amendment
Mar 10: Words and Context
Mar 12: Discussion Sections

Week of Mar 15-19: Spring Break

Mar 22: Classrooms
Mar 24: Protests
Mar 26: Discussion Sections

Mar 29: Belonging and Excluding
Mar 31: Jaycees, Dale, CLS v. Martinez [need better title]
Apr 2: Discussion Sections

Apr 5: Culture Wars (case study 1)
Apr 7: Culture Wars (case study 2 or speaker)
Apr 9: Discussion Sections

Apr 12: Religious Difference - Intro
Apr 14: Religious Difference - Mormons
Apr 16: Discussion Sections

Apr 19: Immigration?
Apr 21: Immigration?
Apr 23: Discussion Sections

Apr 26: Next Steps
Apr 28: Next Steps
Apr 30: Discussion Sections

Week of May 6-12: Final interview with Teaching Assistant (during exam week)

Other Matters

[list all of the boilerplate here (or link to another page containing all of it)]