Just got back from three and a half weeks in Europe (still not sure what time zone I'm in), and Aaron Simmons and I dove straight into the deep end of why democracy feels like it's falling apart. We're wrestling with this massive question: what do you do when reason-giving just seems to fail completely - when people either dismiss everyone who disagrees as morally bankrupt, or assume their own views are so obviously correct that any pushback must be irrational? We wandered through everything from whether I should keep eating at this barbecue place covered in MAGA signs (still haven't decided), to how 81% of white evangelicals support the least Christian president we've ever had, to whether Western civilization can survive without its Christian roots, with a delightful detour into heavy metal pit ethics because apparently that's how we process political theory now. The whole conversation convinced us we need more voices thinking about these tensions together, which is why we're launching this Democracy in Tension summit where a bunch of our philosopher and theologian friends will tackle these questions from different angles - because honestly, Aaron and I don't have answers, but we're pretty sure the questions matter enough to keep wrestling with them, even if it makes us uncomfortable about where we get our barbecue.
You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube
ONLINE SUMMIT: Democracy in Tension - NAVIGATING THE INTERLOCKING CRISES OF DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION
Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?The summit will navigate the complex terrain between political equality and social justice, liberal freedom and democratic sovereignty, and ethical demands and political action.
As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at www.HomebrewedClasses.com
Dr. Simmons is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Furman University. You can follow his Substack ‘Philosophy in the Wild.‘
Previous Episodes with Aaron
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