Fixing Polarisation: Politics, Free Speech & the Future of the West | Robert B. Talisse | IUP

Description

Robert B. Talisse is a Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and one of America's leading thinkers on democracy, political polarisation, and public reason. He has authored over fifteen books including Overdoing Democracy, Sustaining Democracy, and A Pragmatist Philosophy of Democracy — exploring how democracies can thrive amid deep disagreement, belief polarisation, and public ignorance. In this episode of Inspire Us, we discuss: — What belief polarisation is and why it's tearing us apart — Why the more you only talk to people like you, the more extreme you become — Free speech — and why it's not just about the person speaking, it's about you listening — Why government efforts to fix polarisation could actually make things worse — The future of the West Can Western democracies fix polarisation, or have we already passed the point where the usual solutions apply? Subscribe to Youtube: www.youtube.com/@InspireUsPodcast Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4WAeOo2e2Xf6qOFD1ZagXF?si=c9aeead4dc6847f9 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspire-us-podcast/id1732848248 Follow us on social media: X: https://x.com/InspireUsPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspireuspodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inspireuspodcast Chapters: 00:00:00 – Intro: Is The West Tearing Itself Apart? 00:05:29 – Why "Unity" Is More Dangerous Than You Think 00:15:10 – There Are Two Types Of Polarisation (And One Is Way Worse) 00:20:38 – The Hidden Reason You're Becoming More Extreme Without Knowing It 00:26:50 – The Real Problem Isn't That We Disagree 00:36:05 – Even Your Coffee Order Says Something About Your Politics 00:40:18 – The Moment Polarisation Starts Destroying Your Friendships 00:46:10 – Why Your Politics Now Decides If You're A Good Person 00:51:04 – What Democracy Actually Owes You (This Will Surprise You) 00:57:47 – Free Speech: Why Most People Completely Miss The Point 01:06:53 – Why Piers Morgan and Debate Shows Are Making Us More Divided 01:11:09 – Why Fixing Polarisation N