The Centre for Responsible Debate is grounded in the belief that there are better ways to discuss contentious issues than we witness in much contemporary culture. Instead of seeking to ‘win’ in the marketplace of ideas, we believe debate can and should help us to find shared purpose and inclusive solutions, even amongst those who disagree deeply.
Inclusive and respectful dialogue is essential for addressing the many challenges that face us. By contrast, adversarial styles of debate, in person and online, can drive conflict. Our mission is to support individuals and organisations to get better at discussing contentious issues with shared purpose. We offer a variety of activities – from in-person workshops to online coaching – designed to equip people with the knowledge and skills needed to participate positively in challenging discussions.
Our Directors were drawn together by a shared desire to improve our habits of debate, in person and online, to allow us to find common ground and work towards solutions together even when we disagree with each other.
Alice König
Alice König is a Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of St Andrews. Her research spans three key areas: intellectual history, social and cross-cultural interactions, and representations of war and peace. Recent publications have focused on the social construction of expertise in ancient and modern cultures, and they feed directly into her work on responsible debate (as outlined in this blog).
Alice’s latest project, “Visualising War and Peace”, examines how narratives of conflict across various media have shaped perceptions of war and its aftermath through time. Working out from the premise that stories are world-building, she and her research team study the real-world impacts of different representations of conflict and peacebuilding. Her research has led to creative collaborations with theatre companies, journalists and visual artists, workshops for military personnel, and the creation of a popular podcast series exploring the influence of war stories. Among other initiatives, she is working with trained mediators and peace practitioners to explore connections between responsible debate, peace-keeping and peace-building.
Additionally, König is or has been involved in numerous outreach projects, such as supporting the rebuilding of Mosul University Library and working with the charity Book Aid International. She also engages in pedagogic research and innovative teaching approaches, notably in her module “Classics for the Modern World” which connects classical studies with contemporary issues. Her work contributes to debates on responsible discourse, human rights, and the future of education in Scotland.
Matthew Chrisman
Matthew Chrisman is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, with research interests spanning ethical theory, philosophy of language, epistemology, and political philosophy. He has an extensive publication record, including books with Oxford University Press and Routledge, and articles in leading journals such as The Journal of Philosophy, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, Philosophical Studies, and Philosophers’ Imprint. You can hear him speak about his research in this video or read this thread about his most recent monograph Belief, Agency, and Knowledge.
In “Discursive Integrity and the Principles of Responsible Public Debate” (2022), Chrisman developed a different theory of the ideal of public political debate, which downplays the metaphor of a marketplace of ideas and emphasizes discursive integrity as an alternative ideal to expressive sincerity. This drew on his earlier papers “Believing as We Ought and the Democratic Route to Knowledge” (2020) and “Speaking and Listening to Acts of Political Dissent” (2018). This work argues that discursive integrity is manifested in public debate under the commitment to give and ask for reasons for any proposition seriously considered. When in place, this commitment can warrant trusting each other, not in the sense of merely believing each other to be sincere, but in the sense of trusting each other to continue to pursue the common purposes implicit in the fact that we’re continuing to talk to each other.
In his teaching, Chrisman covers a broad spectrum of the Philosophy curriculum. He lectures on large courses such as Morality and Value, leads seminar-style courses like Moral Philosophy, and Collective Reasoning, and teaches advanced MSc seminars, including Advanced Philosophical Method and Further Topics in Meta-Ethics. He is also actively involved in curriculum development and has contributed to the creation of Edinburgh’s Introduction to Philosophy MOOC and the textbook Philosophy for Everyone. His pedagogical work includes publications in various handbooks and encyclopedias, and he authored the textbook What Is This Thing Called Metaethics? Matthew has been recognised multiple times with nominations for EUSA Teaching Awards.
Peter McColl
Peter McColl is a thinker, campaigner and writer, known for his role as Rector of the University of Edinburgh from 2012 to 2015. He is also a Director of the Centre for Consultation and was a member of the RSE’s Covid-19 Futures Commission.
Originally from Belfast, he graduated in geography from the University of Edinburgh, where he was Vice President of the Edinburgh University Students Association. He served as an Assessor to previous Rector, Mark Ballard and was active in the campaigns for Robin Harper and Tam Dalyell’s rectorships.
McColl was confirmed as Rector in January 2012, beginning his three-year term in March. During his rectorship, he championed several student-focused initiatives, including campaigns to freeze international student fees, establish affordable student housing like the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative, and secure the University’s divestment from the arms trade, including weaponised drones. He also campaigned for the elimination of zero-hour contracts, better pay and conditions for university staff, improved teaching quality, and ethical procurement practices. Additionally, he supported the push for fossil fuel divestment and broader improvements in university governance across Scotland.
After being Rector Peter was Head of Policy for the UK’s Innovation Foundation, Nesta in Scotland, worked for service design agency Snook and was the senior representative for The Consultation Institute in Scotland. He has interests in technology, data and its role in shaping our public sphere. He has written on citizens’ assemblies, participatory futures and the role of debate and deliberation in ensuring progress on issues like the climate crisis, ageing society and artificial intelligence.
