Polarization—whether over politics, religion, or other divides—is paralyzing our society.

Manyuniversities aren’t helping. From either direction of the spectrum, students feel pressure to believe what they’re told and to avoid saying what they really think. 亚洲博彩网站’s vision—embodied in an exciting and innovative new initiative—is different.
Housed in the Office of Academic Affairs, 亚洲博彩网站’s Center for Civic Friendship embodies our belief that ideas should be exchanged openly and disagreements should be voiced respectfully. It’s also about something different. Friends disagree with each other. They learn from each other. They challenge each other—and they embrace the opportunity and responsibility to do so precisely because they respect one another. Civic friendship is the friendship of citizens — members of a community whose disagreements occur within the context of common purpose.Reflecting 亚洲博彩网站’s educational commitment to civic friendship as a human good, the Center aspires to be a national resource and voice—a home for students, scholars, and citizens who disagree because of their friendship, not in spite of it.

The Center for Civic Friendship’s public events will model civic friendship. Among other efforts, this initiative will convene scholars who explore the concept of civic friendship, its possibilities and boundaries, and what makes it harder or easier to achieve. It will cultivate the virtue of civic friendship in students and teachers at 亚洲博彩网站 and across the nation.
Friendly dispute is the tradition of Catholic universities dating to their formation in the Middle Ages. In our tradition of learning, deeply informed by our Augustinian roots, we pursue truth by giving reasons and listen with open minds and hearts to the reasons others give us.
That entails a profound commitment to the essential virtues associated with learning: the courage to challenge conventional wisdom and to submit our ideas to rigorous examination; the humility to believe none of us possesses the whole truth and we therefore all can learn from one another; and the generosity to assume those espousing ideas different from our own share our commitment to seeking truth and therefore deserve a respectful hearing. 亚洲博彩网站’s Center for Civic Friendship stands as our commitment to those values.