Why do we need to disagree?

Online and offline, on campus and beyond, we are navigating increasingly polarised discussions around questions of opinion, belief, identity, and faith. From military conflicts to the culture wars, it is rare to find a consensus about which side is ‘right’. At the same time, the practice of disagreement is often discouraged, on the grounds that challenging somebody’s views or beliefs can inflame tensions or hurt feelings.

One consequence of this has been a retreat into ‘echo chambers’, in which we talk cosily to those who will reflect our own views back to us. Another has been the explosion of emotionally-charged meme wars and pile-ons, in which discussion is reduced to insult and aphorism.

This poses a particular problem for academics and students. Debate and disagreement are hallmarks of university life. How would we learn anything or develop new ideas without challenging received wisdom, or each other? If disagreement is presented as a challenge to a safe educational space, it should be asked whether that space is educational at all.

At the same time, recent protests across US and UK campuses have provoked concerns about intimidation, cancellation, and disruption to taught sessions and exams. So where do we draw the line between robust debate and outright hostility? How can we promote the importance of getting out of our echo chambers and having some arguments, without falling out or falling apart?

To discuss some of these thorny issues, the writer and presenter Timandra Harkness gave an open lecture at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) on 12 November 2024. Timandra has presented hundreds of programmes for BBC Radio, including How To Disagree and Divided Nation. Timandra’s journalism covers the domain where technology and society interact, and her most recent book is Technology is Not the Problem. Timandra was given a warm welcome by CCCU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, and responded to by Professor Bob Bowie, Professor of Religion and Worldviews Education and Director of NICER, a University Research Centre focused on Christianity and education. A thoughtful audience discussion followed.

A recording of the opening remarks is available on the NICER YouTube channel. 

A version of this article was first published on the CCCU Expert Comment blog on 7 November 2024.