How to Argue about Politics:
The Meaning of Victory in Public Debate
What might it mean to win a political debate? And how important is the art of persuasion in public life? In this course, we will examine the state of American political disagreement, study the mechanics of argument, and seek to understand the proper role of dissent in a republic. We will look at great debates from the past as well as modern disputes in print, on the air, and on social media. We will also look to classical Jewish sources to answer questions about the virtue of argument and what it means to argue well.
Devorah Goldman
Devorah Goldman is the Tikvah Visiting Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a contributing editor at American Purpose. Previously, she was an editor at National Affairs and a legislative staffer in the Senate. Her writing has appeared in National Affairs, The Weekly Standard, The New Atlantis, Bloomberg BNA, The Washington Times, and other outlets. Devorah received a BA from Queens College and a master’s in social work from Hunter College.
Meet the Instructor
Tikvah aims to make all of our courses available to as many qualified students as possible. In the event that Tikvah needs to add additional sections, this course may be taught by a different faculty member with a similarly high level of expertise.