Thanks for your interest in our resource, Fostering Civil Discourse.

“Civil discourse” is a framework that allows us to show up with our mind, heart, and conscience and to be in dialogue and extend our understanding in connection with others. Political scientist Archon Fung writes:  

It’s important to distinguish between two senses of civility. The first is a superficial kind of civility—being nice, refraining from insults or ad-hominem kinds of argument. The second is a deeper, more important (and older, for what that’s worth) sense of civility that is about behaving in ways that are necessary for cooperative projects such as schools and democratic societies to work well. This deeper sense of civility comes from the Latin civilitas—relating to citizens. Civility in this sense is behavior that is important for good citizenship.

In order to ask students to listen and engage civilly, we have to work toward classrooms that are rooted in equity and have boundaries around speech that affirm the humanity of all while also leaving space for diverse perspectives. The term “civility” can be used to silence voices that challenge the status quo, but “civil discourse,” as we use it in this guide, does not mean prioritizing politeness or comfort over getting to the heart of an issue. 

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