Volume 54, Issue 2

On Hubris, Civility, and Incivility

Hubris, excessive confidence in one’s own views and conclusions, is a dominant human trait. It comes in many guises and defines common patterns of mistakes. This Essay examines several potential…
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Rhetorical Capture

“Rhetorical capture” refers to a form of discourse using conclusory labels. Forms of rhetorical capture include begging the question, capture by antithesis, capture by substitution, and capture by assimilation. Begging…
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Retaliatory Forum Closure

The recent Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party movements highlight the importance of preventing unconstitutional government interference with disfavored speakers. Perversely, officials seeking to prevent such protests while evading viewpoint-…
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The Politics of Incivility

The Flemish painter, Pieter Bruegel, portrayed in his artwork men relieving themselves, cripples begging, and peasants toiling—as well as butchery and the gallows. In his masterful work, The Civilizing Process,…
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