Halteman Zwart, M. “Can Developing Virtues Improve Dialogue Across Political Difference? The Case Study of Philosophy 291: Dialogue and Civil Discourse.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 21 no. 4 (2021). https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v21i4.32699
In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, a philosophy professor responding to concerns from her students developed a course aimed at helping students grow in the virtues and skills necessary for listening and dialogue with people who have different experiences and views than their own. In this article, the author makes the case for foregrounding virtues such as attentiveness, curiosity, intellectual humility, and empathy to promote good dialogue and prepare students to engage productively across differences. The author designed a one-credit-hour course that met for six consecutive weeks that included readings on the related topics for the week. The author argues that “in keeping with traditions of ancient virtue ethics and philosophical hermeneutics that the development of virtues such as attentiveness, curiosity, empathy, and intellectual humility can help students engage more productively across difference. Student reflections from journals support these claims.” (Halteman Zwart, 2021) Halteman Zwart notes students were quick to notice the development of their curiosity throughout the course. Students also said that at the end of the day, the class reminded them that intellectual humility, empathy, and attentiveness are key components to remember as they engage with people who hold different perspectives and views.