The newly-founded Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse held its first guest speaker event, featuring theologian, philosopher and political activist Cornel West and legal scholar and philosopher Robert P. George, on Sept. 12 at the Darla Moore School of Business.
George is a conservative and West a socialist, but the two have been friends for over 20 years despite their opposing political viewpoints. The pair travel the country to discuss their relationship and co-authored "Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division," which was published in January 2025.
During the event George and West discussed their faith, importance of the pursuit of knowledge and of challenging oneself with different ideas and political views.
They opened the discussion by addressing the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, and its indication of rising political violence and polarization around the country.
“(Kirk’s death) is a tragedy for the country that has a palpable significance,” George said. “It throws into stark relief the extreme polarization we now experience as a society, where so many people are losing the ability to think of and regard each other as fellow citizens with whom we disagree, but rather (have) fallen into the (deadly) trap of regarding and treating one’s fellow citizens … as enemies to be destroyed.”
West discouraged political violence and likened Kirk's murder to a personal tragedy, regardless of his political views.
“Murder is murder...human beings are precious,” West said.
George said the way to rid oneself of false beliefs and seek truth is to listen to others, even when their views do not align with one’s own beliefs.
“If we are willing to tolerate (opposing views), but merely tolerate, not listen … We’re not going to get anywhere because we’re only going to be confirmed in the beliefs that we already have,” George said. “You must be willing to understand that key virtue of intellectual humility.”
George and West emphasized the importance of learning for the sake of learning and that sacrificing assumptions leads to personal growth.
“There is no maturation, growth, development ... there is no life without death,” West said. “Any time you let an assumption go, that’s a form of death. Any time you wrestle with a better assumption, that’s a form of rebirth.”
Both men expressed that it is imperative to desire the truth and the importance of resisting the urge to appeal to those in power to gain favor with them.
“When you’re invited into circles of great power and influence … it can ruin you. It’s a dangerous drug.” George said. “But we need to form people … who can resist that.”
West said his Christian faith helps him to continue seeking truth and resist temptation to appease those in power.
“I’m a Christian, and when Jesus says follow me, it means that you go in the midst of public life … but what you’ve got your eyes on is this beloved community that you are trying to enact in your work and witness,” West said.
During a time of political polarization, it can be easy for people to become disconnected from a diverse array of ideas, which can lead to hostility, George said.
“Polarization is manifest in the way people are putting themselves into silos,” George said. “(No one) is ever hearing a perspective different or challenging to the one that they hold … and once you’re in those silos, it can become all too easy to begin to think of yourself as in a cold civil war with your fellow citizens.”
Fourth-year criminal justice student Jordan Todd said he attended the event after hearing about it in his philosophy of law class.
“It's always good to hear two people with opposing beliefs talk about stuff and come together on common ground,” Todd said.
Nadege Keller, a teacher at a Columbia high school who attended the event, said she thought universities were “essential” to fostering civil discourse.
“I care about what's going on in this country, and I wish more people were open to having difficult conversations, even though we might disagree,” Keller said. “It would be better for all of us if we could just talk to one another, even if we strongly disagree. I have a lot of friends who I disagree with, and I learn more from them than I do from my friends who agree with me.”
National Fellowships Coordinator Heidi Bretz, who attended the event, said she heard of West in a college religion class, and viewed the topic of civil discourse as important and timely.
“I think the university holds a really unique and kind of central place in civil discourse, because it is the place where a lot of ideas are born and refined,” Bretz said. “It's a great opportunity for people to come together and to engage with really tough conversations and in ways that not only are truth-seeking and mutually respectful, but really looking to build understanding amongst people who have different viewpoints.”
Philosophy professor and Interim Executive Director of the center Christopher Tollefsen hosted George and West because the center wanted to introduce the concept of people who disagree yet remain civil and friendly with one another.
“Tt's important that we bring the best possible representatives of a wide variety of different positions, so that they can give the best arguments and the best evidence for what they think, and do it in a context of freedom where people can speak their mind with integrity,” Tollefsen said.
Tollefsen said he couldn't be happier with the result of the event.
“I hope that this is the first seed of a flower, a plant, a tree, a whole garden that's going to grow for a long time at this university,” he said. “I think that we're going to be seeing the fruits of what we're doing tonight for many years to come.”
The center will hold its next event, a lecture from Emory University law professor John Witte Jr., on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Joseph F. Rice School of Law. The event is free for all students, faculty and staff to attend.