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public discourse

162-0?

John Fea   |  June 7, 2024

Nine years ago, WFAN (New York City) sports radio host Mike Francesa took this call: I am trying to think of something smart to say about how this video reflects public discourse today. But I think I’ll just let it […]

A Benedictine College philosophy professor on Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech

John Fea   |  May 24, 2024

Benedictine philosophy professor Jim Madden has taught at Benedictine College for more than two decades. Here is a taste of his “On the Pleasures of Outrage“: I don’t want to make this conversation about my family, but a bit of […]

What are people saying about the death of Tim Keller?

John Fea   |  May 20, 2023

When someone like Tim Keller passes away we get a glimpse into the current state of public discourse and the way social media reveals our country’s deep differences. Here are some representative tweets and links. George W. Bush Christian music […]

When “a sixty-minute episode featuring an actor, a novelist, and a champion boxer might attract an audience of nearly 10 million”

John Fea   |  May 2, 2023

Over at Literary Review of Canada James Brooke-Smith reflects on the lost art of public conversation. Here is a taste of his piece, “Where’s Johnny?“ Executives at ABC tried to scotch the first episode of The Dick Cavett Show before it was […]

Why I almost came to see Josh Hawley as a sympathetic figure

John Fea   |  July 15, 2022

Notice the word “almost” in the title. As most readers of this blog know, I am not a Josh Hawley fan. In fact, the guy usually makes my skin crawl. But the other day I actually found myself, at least […]

“We need more nuance and respect for complexity in our public debates”

John Fea   |  June 2, 2022

Over at Inside Higher Ed, historian Steven Mintz writes about bringing critical thinking to public life. Here is a taste: As Malcolm Gladwell observed in his 2005 best seller, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, intuition and snap judgments can […]

Thinking in paragraphs

John Fea   |  December 6, 2021

Jonathan Jacobs, a philosophy professor at John Jay College in New York City, wants his students to think in paragraphs. He is profiled at The Christian Science Monitor. A taste: …he pushes first-year students in his classes at John Jay […]