Reason and Rhetoric: the ethics of public discussion

Even in so-called ‘mature’ democracies, political discussion often turns ugly. Recently we have seen accusations of deception and name-calling in the EU referendum debate, of negative campaigning in the London mayoral election, and of unrestrained personal attacks in the US election.

Does such behaviour fall short of an ethical standard for public discussion, or is it an essential feature of political life?

We bring together a panel of political philosophers, argumentation theorists, and political commentators to debate this question.

John Crace (@JohnJCrace) is a journalist, critic, and satirist at The Guardian.

Catarina Dutilh Novaes (@cdutilhnovaes) is Professor of Theoretical Philosophy and Rosalind Franklin Fellow at the University of Groningen.

William Outhwaite is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Newcastle University.

Jo Phillips is a journalist, author, and former spin doctor.

Peter Dennis is Fellow, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow.