A thought on courteous discourse

We know that groups of people generally make better decisions than the individuals of which the groups are composed would make individually. If a group can communicate effectively, the different points of view can be brought to bear on the issue at hand

To give one example, both progressives and conservatives can contribute to good decision making. The "progressives" argue for change and innovation, and without change and innovation progress is not possible. Unfortunately not all change is progress. The "conservatives" argue for continuity and preservation, and help to prevent damaging innovations and to conserve important values.

Thomas Jefferson, when he was Vice President, wrote the rules for the Senate which have worked well for a couple of centuries to preserve courteous discourse involving both progressives and conservatives on contentious issues of the day. I suggest that we need similar rules to encourage courteous discourse on public issues in the evolving media.

Of course, it is not only the conservative-progressive split in which such discourse is needed. Think of discourse among religious groups, North and South, East and West, Capital and Labor, town and gown, urban and suburban, etc.