THE CIVIL DISCOURSE

#201 Michael J. Sandel
Michael J. Sandel is considered one of the most important philosophers of modern times. Carrying the Socratic torch, the Harvard University professor espouses the virtues of public philosophy and humility in both the personal and political realms. In this episode of The Civil Discourse, Sandel and Host Paula Marantz Cohen explore these; the dignity of work; the deepening divide between winners and losers; changing attitudes of success; and his book, "The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?".

#202 When Great Artists Behave Badly (Part 1)
"When Great Artists Behave Badly" is an in-depth, two-part panel discussion featuring Tony Award-winning dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones, author and art critic Aruna D'Souza, author and philosopher Erich Hatala Matthes, and Barnes Foundation Renoir scholar Martha Lucy in conversation with Host Paula Marantz Cohen. For Part 1, this discussion highlights examples of controversial artists and explores how the art world and society can separate the art from the artist in cases of toxic, immoral personal behavior.

#203 When Great Artists Behave Badly (Part 2)
"When Great Artists Behave Badly" is an in-depth, two-part panel discussion featuring Tony Award-winning dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones, author and art critic Aruna D'Souza, author and philosopher Erich Hatala Matthes, and Barnes Foundation Renoir scholar Martha Lucy in conversation with Host Paula Marantz Cohen. For Part 2, this discussion delves into the role contextualization plays in how art critics, audiences, and institutions can determine the cultural value and legacy (or dismissal) of both the art and the artist.

#204 Kmele Foster
Kmele Foster is a political commentator and cultural critic, who has received attention for his unorthodox views and Libertarian values. He is a media pundit, podcaster of The Fifth Column, and a controversial voice on topics including the two-party political system, racial identity, critical race theory law, and the Black Lives Matter movement. In this episode of The Civil Discourse, Foster and Host Paula Marantz Cohen analyze these pressing concerns and the role of civil discourse in advancing policy for social change.

#205 Police Commissioners Roundtable Discussion (Part 1)
Police Commissioners Danielle Outlaw and Charles H. Ramsey bring combined expertise from a total of five metropolitan police districts across the United States: Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; Oakland, CA; Chicago, IL; and Washington, D.C. In this episode of The Civil Discourse—the first in a two-part roundtable discussion—Outlaw and Ramsey join Host Paula Marantz Cohen to recount their path to law enforcement leadership and what both have learned about police culture across the country. This installment of the commissioners discussion also delves into concerns surrounding recruitment practices and the call to defund or abolish the police.

#206 Police Commissioners Roundtable Discussion (Part 2)
Police Commissioners Danielle Outlaw and Charles H. Ramsey bring combined expertise from a total of five metropolitan police districts across the United States: Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; Oakland, CA; Chicago, IL; and Washington, D.C. In this episode of The Civil Discourse—the second in a two-part roundtable discussion—Outlaw and Ramsey join Host Paula Marantz Cohen to dissect controversial topics including community policing, union relationships, and the call to defund or abolish the police.

#207 Loretta J. Ross
Loretta J. Ross is a public intellectual, writer, activist, and Smith College professor. She has devoted her life to the fight for feminism and human equality. In this episode of The Civil Discourse, Ross explains her work to “call in the call-out culture” by listening across difference to achieve civil discourse and a more effective cultural understanding.

#208 Reginald Dwayne Betts
Reginald Dwayne Betts is a memoirist, poet, Yale-educated public defense attorney, and MacArthur “Genius” award recipient. He also was incarcerated as a youth and spent years working to become the writer and advocate he is today. In this episode of The Civil Discourse, Betts shares some of his experiences from prison, his path to becoming a public defender, and his lifelong affinity for literature.