The Case For Civility

Posted on February 23rd, 2009

This book and the linked discussion below discusses the principles of civility and will help many understand why I really did need to apologize for shouting out “It’s the law” in the house chamber.

In our public life, America is struggling to live up to its national ideals. The Case for Civility: And Why America’s Future Depends On It is a proposal for restoring civility around the world. Influential Christian and speaker Os Guinness makes a passionate plea to put an end to the polarization of American politics and culture that—rather than creating a public space for real debate—threatens to reverse the very principles our founders set into motion that have long preserved liberty,diversity, and unity in this county.

America, with it’s rich history and robust cultural resources, is the very best place to begin to search for answers on fostering civility, argues Guinness—even in the wake of near constant “stupidity and destructiveness of the culture warring over religion and public life—on both sides.”

Rich with historical anecdotes that unlock the genius of the American experiment, Guinness also takes on the contemporary threat of both the religious right and the secular left to construct a new way forward in the midst of the buildup to the 2008 presidential elections.

Os Guiness talks with Michael Horton over at the White Horse Inn:

• Part 1

• Part 2

Tags: statesmanship
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One Response to “The Case For Civility”

1. The Statesman Says:
   February 24th, 2009 at 7:44 am

   Civility is usually a by-product of reason. We live in a time when emotion is exalted over reason. Feelings are self-justifying. People with truth to say, even in a civil tone, are bid to keep quiet lest they hurt someone’s feelings.

   Feelings must learn to conform to truth, rather than the truth be laid aside for the sake of feelings. In that since, we need to become LESS civil- if that is what civil is. On the other hand, if debates become matters of who can emote the loudest rather than reason the best we are also doomed.