The responsibility of learning to disagree is “especially acute” on university campuses, said a Washington University professor of law and religion, as he spoke to a crowded room of students, scholars and legal professionals gathered Thursday at Brigham Young University.
“Universities like BYU,” he said, “have unprecedented access to technology and information, the material conditions for prosperity, the time and space for discussion, and smart and motivated students and faculty to have those discussions.
“And you have a sense of purpose that helps you do that better,” he continued. “In other words, if you can’t figure out how to do it here, then I’m not sure where else we’re going to find those places in this country.”
During Wheatley Institute’s Constitution Week Lecture, John Inazu — the Sally D. Danforth distinguished professor of law and religion at Washington University and author of “Learning to Disagree” — spoke to listeners about the challenges assailing the nation’s democracy, the responsibility individuals hold to protect their constitutional rights, and a series of practical steps that both students and scholars alike can take to promote civility and understanding.
“When it comes to disagreeing better across our society, it’s not going to happen without individual change, individual commitments from you and me to listen, learn, forgive and understand. … So let’s make college a time and a place that can lower the stakes and lengthen the conversations.”
The battle is between wrong vs. evil
As many people know, and recent days have reminded individuals, much of the disagreement that exists in today’s world has become “unhealthy and destructive,” Inazu told listeners.
“Our culture has moved from thinking that the other side is wrong to thinking that the other side is evil, creating enemies out of those who believe differently than we do,” he explained.
This shift hardens hearts and amplifies anxieties, he added, but it is also worrisome for “much more practical reasons.”
“When you think someone is wrong,” he said, “you hold open the possibility of persuasion, of convincing them of the error of their ways.
“When you think someone is evil, you usually just want to silence them.”
Inazu acknowledged there is “real evil” in the world. “It’s evil to degrade the dignity of another human being. It’s evil to exploit vulnerable people. It’s evil to murder,” he said.
“(Yet) if we’re honest with ourselves, most of us probably lump more people into the evil category than actually belong there,” he said.
He added that in a country so vast, each person must learn to “distinguish people from the ideas they hold.” But how?
The key is in learning to ‘assemble’
Inazu suggested to listeners one of the keys to learning how to disagree “finds its roots” in the First Amendment’s right of assembly.
He said this and other constitutional protections for “dissent and disagreement” enable a pluralistic society where people can “believe differently on things that matter.” Yet for a pluralistic society to work, individuals must be willing to “grant the same robust protections” of thought, belief and opinion to their adversaries.
“Real pluralism,” said Inazu, “requires political compromise and living with those whose words and actions offend our basic sensibilities, even when and especially when the politics are in our favor.
“Pluralism can’t just be the last refuge of political losers,” he continued. “It requires give and take from all of us.”
According to Inazu, the right of assembly also points to the “relational dimensions” of civic life, as it is “the only right in the First Amendment that requires more than one person to be exercised.”
“You and I can do all of the other rights on our own,” said Inazu, referring to the First Amendment’s rights of speech, petition, the press and religion. “(But) you cannot assemble alone.”
Practical steps for students, scholars and others alike
“At a place like BYU, all of this might feel a bit distant,” Inazu told listeners, “(like) something that happens on the steps of the Supreme Court or the streets of major cities. But it’s also about the ways that you choose to gather here.”
Assembly, according to Inazu, doesn’t always look like a protest or a march. “Sometimes it’s Bible study, a student newspaper or a group of friends debating their way through a class.”
In any case, the way individuals choose to come together across differences “matters a great deal,” he said.
With this set up, Inazu proceeded to list five “verbs” or civic practices to help individuals build peace and protect each other’s constitutional rights. These practices were:
- Ground yourself in your convictions
- Respect others
- Assume complexity, not character
- Cultivate curiosity
- Engage with empathy
Put together, these practices spell out the “tiny mnemonic” of “GRACE,” Inazu added.
“I know (that) risks sounding a little bit like self-help meets ChatGPT, but I suspect it also fits well with the spiritual anchor that undergirds this university.
“Grace is, after all, the unearned gift that makes reconciliation possible, and we know that all of us could use a little more grace.”
What students said
Reflecting on the lecture, BYU freshman Aimee Hord said she found Inazu’s message “really powerful,” and added that of the practical steps he shared, she wants to be more intentional about assuming complexity.
“It’s easy to think of things at surface level,” she said. “But I feel like having an open mindset to other people lets you find common ground in which you don’t feel as much contention, and you can find more peace for yourself.”
BYU freshman Cassius Redenius from Tennessee also attended the lecture and said Inazu’s message, combined with his reflection of recent events, have encouraged him to be more open to discussions about his and others’ beliefs.
“There can be no progression within … the government or with us here in learning and education, if there is no discussion,” he said. “(So) you have to be comfortable with the fact that there’s going to be disagreements.”
As for BYU freshman and attendee Kayla Allred, she said she appreciated Inazu’s counsel to be respectful.
“I think it’s really valuable that we keep respect in order to keep the peace,” she said.
She also said she plans to be more “mindful” in expressing her thoughts and opinions to others because “the goal isn’t to communicate, ‘I’m right, you’re wrong.’ (The goal is to) come to a mutual understanding and benefit from different perspectives.”