America has tried town halls, televised debates, social-media platforms and countless podcasts in its search for healthier political discussion.
A Washington State University philosopher would like us to try having a beer together.
Michael Goldsby will bring his provocatively titled lecture, How Beer Might Save Democracy, to the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma on Saturday, September 19.
The free event is the museum’s fifth annual Henry R. Fenbert Challenging History Lecture. It runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and advance registration is required.
Goldsby’s argument begins with a familiar problem: Americans increasingly view their political opponents not simply as mistaken, but with distrust and contempt.
Social media has given nearly everyone a place to debate public issues, but Goldsby believes its reward systems can push those discussions in the wrong direction. Posts that provoke anger and reinforce partisan loyalties often receive more attention than thoughtful attempts to understand someone else.
His proposed solution sounds almost comically simple: Get offline and meet people in places where conversation happens naturally.
A bar will do. So will a tasting room, coffee shop or even a bowling alley.
The beer in the lecture’s title is therefore less important than the table around which it is shared. According to Humanities Washington’s description of the talk, face-to-face conversations can be more authentic, focused and empathetic than exchanges conducted through a screen.
They also make it harder to reduce another person to a username, political label or profile picture.
Goldsby isn’t a political strategist or professional pundit. He is an associate professor in WSU’s School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs who earned his doctorate in the philosophy of science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
He is also, according to his official biography, a beer enthusiast.
Goldsby developed the presentation through Humanities Washington in partnership with WSU’s Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service. He has previously delivered versions of the talk elsewhere in Washington, attracting media attention for connecting something as ordinary as sharing a drink with something as consequential as preserving democratic culture.
The idea is not that one pleasant conversation will resolve America’s deepest disagreements. It is that democracy requires people to exchange ideas—and that meaningful exchange becomes nearly impossible when participants no longer see one another as people worthy of hearing.
Goldsby’s proposition can be tested without ordering a pint. The drink can be coffee, tea or nothing at all.
The real question is whether Americans can put down their phones, sit across from someone they disagree with and listen long enough to discover where they still share common ground.
Learn more and register through the Washington State History Museum here.
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