Teaching Honesty to Strengthen Democracy

Democracies are struggling in an age of populism, polarisation, and post-truth. In a world swirling with competing political groups stating conflicting facts, citizens are left unsure whom to trust and which facts are true. The role of honesty in civic life is in jeopardy, which hampers our ability to solve pressing problems. This lecture responds to those conditions by explaining what honesty is, how it is connected to truth, and why both are important to and at risk in democracies today. Finally, it offers guidance on how honesty and truth should be taught to our youngest generations to keep democracies healthy.

Sarah Stitzlein is a philosopher of education who teaches at the University of Cincinnati, USA. She studies how schools can help prepare citizens for the challenges of our current political environment. She is the editor of the journal Democracy & Education, author of five books, and contributor to the National Academy of Education’s report on improving civil dialogue. She attended Miami University in Differdange, Luxembourg in 2000.

In collaboration with Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center.