EP 37: Civil Discourse Across Difference

David Paul, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, and Jennifer Townsend, Executive Assistant for the Lee Honors College, joined host Sandra Borden, Director of the Ethics Center, to talk about why we should try to talk across difference about difficult issues and how can we do so with civility and respect. Paul and Townsend have been doing work in this space as two of the co-chairs for Western Michigan University’s chapter of the Heterodox Academy, also known as HxA. Along with fellow co-chair Jeff Breneman, they were awarded the 2025 HxA Community Excellence Open Inquiry Award. Produced and edited by Jayla Bryan.