Civil Discourse

A Message from the Head of School 

To contribute meaningfully to the world, boys need to develop the skills and disposition to communicate with individuals with whom they may not agree. For too long, social media and other societal forces have allowed us to retreat into echo chambers where our own views can be reinforced to such an extreme that they seem to be the only rational opinion to hold. Hearing an argument for the opposite position can be seen as almost hostile, or unworthy of respect or consideration. As a school built on relationships, we believe that we have a role in teaching our boys how to participate in civil discourse meaningfully, respectfully and constructively. 

At Browning we have the opportunity to intentionally and carefully encourage and support meaningful encounters with difference—with different ideas, opinions, and perspectives—in ways that are honest, respectful, and hopeful. The boy who is consistently and enthusiastically called upon to reflect upon and support his own ideas (“Why do I think this?”) while also genuinely inquiring into the ideas of others (“Why do you think that?”) is on his way to developing clarity of thought, sympathetic imagination, and an understanding of the virtues of inquiry, revision, and reiteration. He is, in short, becoming a thinker, someone who is committed to discernment that is both independent and responsible, both aspiring and humble.  

To do this we have created spaces and opportunities that insist upon the regular, reasoned, open, provisional, collaborative evaluation of viewpoints--not ad hominem dismissal of those who hold those viewpoints. Browning must be a place where we not only permit but in fact celebrate the effort to grapple with difficult concepts and their implications, so long as this grappling is done in the spirit of our community values, with authentic honesty, curiosity, and interest in safeguarding the dignity of others. Our ideal—our requirement—is a climate of mutual care where hearts and minds are won not by force, intimidation, or groupthink, but by the persuasive power of an idea. 

Preserving democracy requires those who can mediate ideological divides by listening and discussing across differences, by finding places of common agreement, and by honoring the humanity of those who hold diverging points of view. We owe it to our boys to embrace a learning community where ideas are not markers of ingroup belonging, but rather tools to be tried and tested; where approval is given not simply to clear answers, but to thoughtful questions; where dialogue is preferred to diatribe; where minds change through persuasion, not coercion; and where members can trust that they are known and loved as they strive, err, and strive again. We invite the parents and guardians of our students to join us in supporting our work with students by allowing time and space for robust discussion of a variety of issues in your own home.

What Families and Their Boys Can Expect from Browning