We Live in a Society
TLDR
Culturally, the spirit of social discourse is becoming strained and unproductive. But without civil discourse — there is no civil society. If we can’t bridge the gaps of understanding between individuals, the seams of democracy will unravel around us. What we’ve forgotten is that civil discourse is a reciprocal process. It’s not only about being heard, it’s also about listening. Living in a diverse society requires us to step outside of our experience and into that of another. If more of us genuinely practiced this, perhaps we could pull ourselves back from the edge of the cliff we’re dancing on. To do this, we might employ a philosophical position called the veil of ignorance (aka the original position). A theory by John Rawls, which invites us into a mindset that mitigates selfish thinking and opens our hearts to the experiences of others.
Into the Forest, Never to be Seen Again
Admittedly, there are times when hearing an opinion has prompted me to close my eyes, take a deep breath and imagine what it might be like to exist away from other people. How it might feel to abandon society to exist alone in the forest, communing with no one but nature and sharing food with the local squirrels. Then, I open my eyes to face the reality that I live amongst a group of strangers whose worldviews sometimes feel distant and incompatible with my own.
This is the struggle of society. Existing together while attempting to balance and respect other people’s opinions, values and perspectives can be a maddening experience. But it’s necessary. It’s an inescapable struggle that requires us to employ crucial critical thinking skills that seem to be slipping away.
The spirit of public debate has become harsh and unforgiving. Ironically, it’s being shaped by those who have (while being harmful) successfully branded themselves as incapable of harm. Because of the cultural narrative that’s been created about the sanctity of “liberal” thought, it’s become almost inexcusable to so much as question anyone aligned with liberal beliefs. Even as those beliefs begin to become regressive. As they monopolized the landscape of social discourse, they promised a utopia but now — the ground is rotting slowly beneath them and no one is allowed to call attention to the stench.
Doing Society
In a community as diverse as Canada we are bound to disagree in fundamental ways that simply can’t be ignored. Dealing with these complex problems requires expansive thought. It requires the ability to step outside of our own skin and into the experience of another. And in order for true understanding and justice to occur, that process has to be reciprocal.
It is not fair to demand to be heard while refusing to listen to others. It is not just to solely consider your own perspective (or that of your identity group) while disregarding the experiences of those around you.
Doing society requires a careful and refined approach to civil engagement that generally seems to be lacking in modern times. This is where it may be helpful to step behind the veil of ignorance.
The Veil
The veil of ignorance, also referred to as the original position, is a philosophical position that abstracts the individual from everything that ties them to their biases. To illustrate the ethos of this philosophy I’m going to tell a short story:
Imagine for a moment that you have a spirit and that it is waiting patiently for its turn to enter a body and be born. As you wait for your body, you’re able to see the spectacle unfolding on earth. You are aware of what’s happening, but unaware of what role you’ll be assigned in society.
Although you don’t yet know your race, sex, class, culture, intelligence, ability, or mental state – you know that soon you will have them, and that these distinguishing features will impact the way that you navigate life.
How would you conceive of justice if you did not know who you would be? Where you had no knowledge of your stakes in the situation?
Stepping behind the veil of ignorance brings us into a hypothetical situation that detaches us from our biases and discourages motivated reasoning. From this position, we can attempt to extract principles of justice that can be used to fairly govern society. This is the ethos of the original position, a theory created by the philosopher John Rawls. Because you could be anyone you’re more likely to generate principles that serve everyone by accounting for a wider array of experiences.
In short, the original position is an attempt to engage us in more unbiased and objective thinking. Something that we desperately need at the moment.
IRL
Of course it’s not possible to simply forget who we are. But it is possible to carry a bit of that spirit with us in conversation. It’s possible to hold space for others and to see past our own experiences and into theirs. It can act as a catalyst to step into spaces of more meaningful understanding with people who occupy different social positions. I find it to be a useful thought experiment in the moments when I begin to fantasize about running into the forest never to be seen again.
The only way to articulate and cultivate a shared sense of the good life is to commit to an engaged and informed approach to justice. Holding space for others will allow us to engage more effectively in debates and discussions about complex or polarizing issues. In a diverse society it’s necessary to find ways to advocate for toleration in the face of philosophical and moral differences.
As aforementioned, I think one of the more dangerous cultural narratives that’s being created at the moment is that certain people (based on their race, sex or political party) are inherently immune to causing harm or holding negative biases. This narrative works to create a climate where certain people are viewed as inherently virtuous and therefore feel emboldened to speak and act as though they are beyond reproach. This is creating a toxic culture of social discourse.
We all have our biases and there will be moments when we will need to reflect honestly on how they influence the way we treat and speak to other people. And those of us who are liberally aligned are not exempt from that. There is so much variation between us that in order to coexist, there will be times when we need to be able to step outside of ourselves and genuinely consider another’s perspective. Even when — especially when — it’s uncomfortable. At one point or another, all of us should have the courage to step behind the veil of ignorance.
We may fundamentally disagree with someone but remaining engaged will allow us to expand our own worldview and lay the foundation of understanding that’s necessary to move forward towards possible solutions.