In addition to making a connection with someone on the other side, this can be a good opportunity to think through things, answer challenging questions, find out what we don’t know.
We learn a lot of stuff in elementary and high school, and then do a lot of preparing for a life of work in college and hopefully get to talk about the big issues surrounding us while we’re there. But, afterwards, many of us take up positions, watch news channels that support them, and don’t necessarily continue to raise questions and think through things
I have taken a lot of inspiration from the great American philosopher John Dewey (1859-1952) who argued that real democracy was possible, but only if the public that supported it were educated. By “education,” Dewey meant something quite different than development of skills, mastery of subject-matters, and vocational training. Though these are useful supplements to what Dewey saw as central to education – namely, the cultivation of wisdom and judgment – they are not themselves at the core of it. Moral education and the development of character, so central to Dewey’s vision, require special attention to talking. listening, thinking, and the developing of patience and generosity to the other, even if you disagree.
Those additional efforts represent the heart and soul of philosophy – the “love of wisdom” – which should be, and could be, far more central in public life. This kind of “philosophy” need not be remote and mysterious, but should prevail everywhere and be available to everyone. Philosophy, in its widest application, should not be a specialized endeavor but should only require a genuine willingness to talk, to listen, and to think. It is the rightful possession of everyone.
Dialogue is at the heart of philosophy and far more important to it than any “philosophical position” one arrives at. Its emotional foundation is, or should be, patience, and brings with it the capacity to listen carefully, to restate another’s ideas in your own language, and to respond thoughtfully.