Thursday 15 October - Grimond Lecture theatre 1
18.30-19.30 Lecture
19.30-20.30 Reception
A great deal of concern attends the problem of ‘polarisation’ in society now, around what people think on a range of issues. Yet the idea of the University itself, historically, is based on the need for open disagreement and opinion diversity, to the end of better clarifying the truth. Discussion has attended to the question of whether Universities are doing what they need to, to create environments where people can debate and disagree, and feel like they are encouraged to do so. For this Committee on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression (SCAFFE) Lecture, we are delighted to be joined by writer and broadcaster Timandra Harkness, who will share her views on the art of disagreement.
What does it mean to disagree well, and why does it matter?
What can Universities do to encourage all members to want to join in with the exercise of academic freedom and freedom of speech?
What role can Universities play in helping address the ‘polarisation problem’?
Timandra will speak for about 45 minutes, followed by questions and discussion.
About Timandra Harkness
Timandra is a writer, presenter and broadcaster, and self-described ‘lapsed comedian’. She has presented hundreds of programmes for BBC Radio, which include the acclaimed series on disagreement and why it matters ‘How to Disagree’ and ‘Steelmanning’ about how to argue better. She is the author of Technology is Not the Problem and Big Data: Does Size Matter? Timandra has degrees in Film Studies, Maths, and Philosophy, and is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.