Notice Board

The Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) presents a session discussing the meaning of being charitable when it comes to interpreting another's point of view during an argument.

What Does It Mean to Be Charitable When We Argue? The argumentative exchange of reasons is often seen as the most equality-affirming, respectful way in which parties can engage with each other’s minds. But for argumentation to fulfill this promise, we often have to invest extra effort.

One of the places where such extra effort may be required is when we try to understand the reasons that the person we are arguing with is trying to communicate to us. This can be difficult, especially when they are not very good speakers, or when we strongly disagree with their worldview.  To capture this, we often say that arguing requires us to interpret the other charitably. But what does that mean? And is charity always helpful, or can it even be harmful to the person we are trying to understand? In this talk, we will explore all the ways that charity can go wrong … and what is required for it to go right.

Speaker: Dr. Katharina Stevens

Katharina Stevens has worked in the Ethics of Argument for seven years. She is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lethbridge, where she holds a Board of Governors Research Chair on the Ethics of Argumentation. She is also a co-editor of the argumentation journal, Informal Logic. She is developing a non-ideal role-ethics for argumentation and a textbook on ethical arguing and has published in virtues of argumentation and the role of adversariality in argument.

Date/Time: Thursday, Oct 31, 2024. The session begins at noon and concludes at 1 p.m.

Cost is free, donations however, are gratefully accepted.

Location: SACPA sessions are held at Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO), Atrium Dining Room, 500 -11 Street S, Lethbridge

Lunch and Refreshments: Please arrive early to patronize the LSCO cafeteria and enjoy their excellent variety of good value food options. The Atrium Dining Room is available by 11:15 a.m.