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Dissoi Logoi, Civic Friendship, and the Politics of Education
Abstract
This essay examines the recent debate over the politics of American education, particularly the accusation of liberal bias by members of the Right such as David Horowitz and Students for Academic Freedom. It draws parallels between the contemporary movement for an “Academic Bill of Rights” and the historical context of the “Powell Memo” of 1971. In response to conservative and progressive antagonism, this essay returns to the Sophistic notion of dissoi logoi, the requirement of students to argue many sides of contentious public issues. After reviewing the pedagogy of a contemporary emphasis on dissoi logoi, it contends that such practice within education might promote a civic friendship capable of addressing and ameliorating increasingly hostile public discourse.
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- Available online: 03 Feb 2007
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