{"id":1940,"date":"2021-02-26T10:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T18:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/want-to-unite-the-country-learn-how-to-argue-better\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T14:03:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T22:03:39","slug":"argue-better-conceptual-foundations-of-conflict-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/argue-better-conceptual-foundations-of-conflict-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to reduce polarization? Learn how to argue better."},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3411-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3411-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Want to unite the country? Learn how to argue better.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  The USC Dornsife Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project aims to help people get better at hashing out their differences, using philosophy as a guide. (Image source: iStock\/MHJ.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Want to reduce polarization? Learn how to argue better.<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Political polarization has skyrocketed in recent decades while online debate frequently devolves into childish \u2014 and sometimes dangerous \u2014 personal attacks. USC Dornsife\u2019s Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project thinks a little philosophy could help us make sense of it all. <strong>[4\u00bd min read]<\/strong>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">February 26, 2021<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span 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   \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Political polarization among Americans has been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2014\/06\/12\/political-polarization-in-the-american-public\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">escalating for\u00a0\u00a0a decade.<\/a> Some 30% of both Democrats and Republicans now hold the view that the opposing party poses a threat to the nation\u2019s very well-being. A divisive 2020 presidential campaign season marked by demonstrations, riots and a storming of the capital building, doesn\u2019t bode well for a future of unity.<\/p>\n<p>According to polling data,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.webershandwick.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Civility_2010_SocialMediaImplications.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Americans don\u2019t like the incivility<\/a>\u00a0that has become standard practice in the public square and regard it as a serious erosion of values. Both parties want a president to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2020\/11\/13\/america-is-exceptional-in-the-nature-of-its-political-divide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">focus on the needs of the people<\/a>, even if that means disappointing supporters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that political polarization is the driving problem of the 21st century because we can\u2019t mobilize resources to solve things like climate change and deal with a pandemic with just 49% or 51% support,\u201d\u00a0says\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cf\/faculty-and-staff\/faculty.cfm?pid=1012675\">Mark Schroeder<\/a>, professor of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/phil\/\">philosophy<\/a>\u00a0and founder of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.philosophy.academy\/\">Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project<\/a>\u00a0at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n<p>The project brings together philosophers from a variety of study areas including ethics, epistemology and feminist philosophy to better understand interpersonal conflict. This work could help people get better at hashing out their differences, so that we can debate ideas without devolving into flame wars and fist fights.<\/p>\n<h2>A triangular problem<\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 487px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/CIP_InStoryA-3411.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Mark Schroeder\" width=\"487\" height=\"314\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Schroeder of philosophy explores concepts linked to metaethics. (Photo: Courtesy of Mark Schroeder.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Schroeder is particularly interested in how conflict can arise through how we interpret one another\u2019s intent, meaning or position. One way that misunderstandings can worsen is through \u201ctriangulation,\u201d in which two people interpret each other in part through the lens of how they react to a common point of contact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf one of the most salient things I know about you is how you react to Trump, the fact that we understand Trump in different ways is going to lead us to misunderstand each other,\u201d says Schroeder. For example, someone opposed to Trump may assume a Trump supporter is against keeping abortion legal, when in fact they may support Roe vs. Wade given that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2019\/06\/07\/730183531\/poll-majority-want-to-keep-abortion-legal-but-they-also-want-restrictions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">77% of Americans wish to keep the pro-choice ruling in place<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another misinterpretation occurs through \u201cover-projecting\u201d or \u201cunder-projecting\u201d a person\u2019s agency, his or her ability to act independently. In over-projection, people\u2019s actions are assumed to be entirely up to them.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you may over-project by assuming that a coworker snapping at you is due to a grouchy personality, not hunger. Or that your friend isn&#8217;t texting back because they\u2019re uncaring, rather than because their phone died.<\/p>\n<p>In under-projection, a person\u2019s agency is minimized. For example, assuming a high math grade is due to a student\u2019s ethnicity under-projects that student\u2019s abilities and strips the student of an active role in the accomplishment, says Schroeder.<\/p>\n<p>This played out in the political arena in the interpretation of Trump\u2019s Twitter habit.\u00a0Trump\u2019s frequent, inflammatory tweets inspired\u00a0anger in the left, who saw them as proof that Trump was vindictive and uncivil.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[News anchor] Rachel\u00a0Maddow looks at it and thinks, \u2018I can\u2019t make it positive, so I\u2019m going to give him as much agency in this as I can,\u2019\u201d says Schroeder.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, many on the right played down Trump\u2019s agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of people who support and endorse Trump say, \u2018Well, he\u2019s got a big mouth\u2019 or \u2018he\u2019s from New York and that\u2019s what you expect from people like that,\u201d says Schroeder.<\/p>\n<p>Thinking critically about how much agency we\u2019re affording people \u2014 and whether we alter our view depending on a person\u2019s political party \u2014 could dial back animosity and lessen conflict.<\/p>\n<h2>Screen time, scream time<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.philosophy.academy\/faculty-fellows\">Regina Rini<\/a>, professor of philosophy at York University and a faculty fellow with the Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project, has been tracking how the internet is affecting our democracy.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 334px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/CIP_InStoryB-3411.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of woman with red hair, wearing black glasses and a necklace.\" width=\"334\" height=\"520\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Regina Rini is a faculty fellow with the Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project. (Photo: Courtesy of Mark Schroeder.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s probably no coincidence that polarization has arisen alongside the expansion of the internet into every facet of public discourse. Algorithms now feed people only the news that aligns with their world view, inflammatory headlines and Twitter threads are rewarded with the most engagement (and the most ad dollars), and the impersonal way we communicate is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15257832\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">making people disinhibited<\/a>\u00a0and less empathetic to the other person in the comments section.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve also spent much of the past year confined to a sort of \u201cdigital bunker\u201d as the pandemic has curtailed in-person socializing, forcing people to connect mostly with others online instead of hashing out differences face-to-face. The divisive presidential election and the vastly differing opinions on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic have added fuel to the fire.<\/p>\n<p>Rini\u2019s first tip for those wishing to improve the national dialogue? Delete social media apps from your phone and force yourself to use social media in a web browser instead. At the very least, turn off notifications from news and social media apps.<\/p>\n<p>This can help prevent knee-jerk, emotional reactions to news stories, comments and posts, she says. The effort of simply having to remember your password each time you want to engage may prevent you from picking another fight with that cousin you disagree with on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>When you do debate online, Rini recommends one mental heuristic: \u201cImagine\u00a0you\u2019re having this conversation in front of a 10-year-old and they are learning how to behave from you.\u00a0If the other person you\u2019re debating is behaving terribly, model\u00a0how you want a 10-year-old to see someone respond to a terrible person. This might not mean just acceding or saying, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s fine, you can say horrible things about me.\u2019 It might mean walking away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Political polarization has skyrocketed in recent decades while online debate frequently devolves into childish \u2014 and sometimes dangerous \u2014 personal attacks. USC Dornsife\u2019s Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project thinks a little philosophy could help us make sense of it all. <strong>[4\u00bd min read]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":1943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[515,193,105],"class_list":["post-1940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-mark-schroeder","tag-philosophy","tag-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Want to reduce polarization? Learn how to argue better.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Political polarization has skyrocketed in recent decades. USC Dornsife\u2019s Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project thinks a little philosophy could help us make sense of it all.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/argue-better-conceptual-foundations-of-conflict-project\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Want to reduce polarization? Learn how to argue better.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Political polarization has skyrocketed in recent decades. 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