2020 Silfen Forum: Civil Discourse in Uncivil Times

We live in an age when politicians hurl vitriol at one another across the debate stage, pundits spew rage-filled rants on cable television, and ordinary citizens engage in anonymous, ad hominem attacks on social media. More than 90% of American adults say incivility in the public square is a problem and nearly three quarters say it is a “serious” problem and on the rise. Incivility has far-reaching negative implications, eroding trust and respect for opposing points of view. Ten years ago, Penn President Amy Gutmann and a panel of prominent experts confronted the essential question: Is there something seriously wrong with public debate in America and, if so, how can the problem be remedied? A decade later, this question is ever more pressing. How can institutions and individuals support both open expression and robust, civil debate? What roles can everyone including higher education, media organizations, voters, and public officials productively play? Can we repair our system of politics so that civil debate becomes the expectation and not the exception?

Join President Amy Gutmann and Penn Professor Michael Delli Carpini as they and a panel of distinguished guests confront these and other questions at the 2020 David and Lyn Silfen University Forum, “Civil Discourse in Uncivil Times.”