What’s so good about civility?

In an era of scorched-earth political disagreements, many say civility is an overrated virtue. At the same time, public commentators often decry a lack of conversational civility and an inability to find common ground in the public square. They worry that as our political climate has heated up, we’ve begun to forget the crucial skill of talking (and listening) to one another.

In this talk, Alex Richardson will discuss the nature and normative importance of civility and advance some key ideas to foster the development of civility and other nearby dispositions that are crucial for citizens of a democratic society.

Alex Richardson is Associate Director for Content Strategy and Engagement at the Prindle Institute for Ethics and Assistant Professor in Philosophy at DePauw University in Indiana. In his administrative role, he directs the Prindle Institute’s digital and educational strategy and leads key national engagement initiatives and partnerships. In his faculty role, he teaches innovative and service-driven courses in ethics and political philosophy for DePauw undergraduates. Richardson’s research interests lie at the intersections of political philosophy and the philosophy of education, and focus on moral and civic education, the development of key democratic and intellectual virtues, and the value (both theoretical and practical) of civility and other nearby dispositions. Richardson serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) and as chair of the American Philosophical Association's Committee on Pre-College Philosophy. He also sits on the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Council and Steering Committee as well as the National High School Ethics Bowl Advisory Board. In his local community, he serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at Indy Pride. Richardson received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2021, where he taught for many years and wrote a dissertation on the virtue of civility and its role in the non-ideal politics of democratic societies.