The
Importance of Civility
This past week I attended the
lecture titled, “Prophecy, Civility, and
Truth: A Reflection on the Upcoming Election,” given by Dr. Cathleen
Kaveny. Dr. Kaveny is a professor of both law and theology at the
University of Notre Dame in Indiana, and is the author of several books. The
lecture given by Dr. Kaveny was very interesting, but was not what I expected.
While I went into the lecture expecting to hear about specific issues and
analyses of the candidates and their views from Dr. Kaveny’s perspective, I
came out of the lecture not with more knowledge about the election itself, but
with a greater appreciation for a principle we so often overlook, not only in
politics, but even in every day interactions with each other. While Dr. Kaveny
disclosed information about her involvement in the political scene and even her
TV appearance on Jon Stewart’s The Daily
Show, her purpose for giving the lecture was not to reveal her views or
debate questions of morality or equality in regard to political issues. Given her involvement and strong affiliation
with the Catholic Church, Dr. Kaveny did reference certain issues, such as
abortion and contraception, which the church currently struggles with—however
she did not delve in to either her personal stance or the arguments about these
issues. Dr. Kaveny instead focused on what she believes is the most important
thing both Christians, and people of all backgrounds are capable of—acting with
civility. She calls all people to “bring back dignity between parties,”
asserting that the political playing field is presently much too aggressive and
insensitive. Dr. Kaveny’s main point, tying together the three ideas presented
in the lecture’s title, was that no matter what “truth” it is that we believe
in, our ideas and beliefs must be prophesied and presented with nothing less
than a strong manner of civility. Dr. Kaveny’s call to civility included
consideration of the importance of the “framing of a message,” and “putting
into practice the golden rule.” Something I found most interesting was Dr.
Kaveny’s use of the Christian theory of Just War in regard to the concept of
“verbal warfare,” saying that the same principles of the Just War theory should
apply when one engages in a “verbal war” of sorts so that a certain level of
civility may always be maintained between arguers. I believe this lecture relates to both the
readings from this week, and the Jesuit education ideals. Dr. Kaveny urges all
people to be advocates for justice, via a strong commitment to prophesying
truth with civility, something very closely related to the Jesuit commitment to
justice and care of the whole person.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Birthmark, Aylmer moves to convince
his wife Georgiana to allow him to
attempt to remedy the birthmark on her face. While at first extremely hesitant
about the idea, and also very comfortable with the birthmark, Georgiana
eventually asks her husband to perform a procedure on the birthmark. However,
Georgiana asks her husband to remove the birthmark not because she does not
like it, but because she feels increasingly inferior each time she catches her
husband staring disapprovingly at the mark on her face. Georgiana eventually dies
due to the removal procedure, imposing the story’s theme that we should become,
or in this case choose to remain, comfortable with certain imperfections, so as
not to harm ourselves physically, or mentally, in trying to please other
people. I think that this relates to the lecture I attended in that Aylmer
failed to realize the implication his obsession with the birthmark had on his
wife, just as those involved in politics are often so consumed with their own
opinions that they fail to act with civility and realize the effects their words and actions can have on people of opposite views.
In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator and
her husband have a very disconnected relationship. The narrator suffers from
crippling depression and is offered help only from her husband John who is a
physician. John believes he knows what is best for his wife, but in reality
only belittles her condition, trying to convince her that she simply has
“temporary nervous depression.” During their stay at a summer home, the
narrator develops a certain infatuation with the ugly yellow wallpaper in her
room, though she initially finds it repulsive. When she begins to tear down the
wallpaper to free the woman she sees in it, she herself finally feels free from
her husband and the room he has insisted she stay in for three long weeks. The
relationship I find between this story and the lecture I heard from Dr. Kaveny
is in the way Dr. Kaveny suggests we are called to treat each other, versus the
way John treats his wife and her condition. John spends most of his time caring
for other patients, and assumes his wife’s condition to be unserious, thus not
paying it much attention. This attitude contradicts Dr, Kaveny’s insistence
that people attempt to see each other’s point of view, and whether agreeing
with it or not, in the least, must act with civility, treating it with the
respect and seriousness it deserves.
William Wordsworth’s, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, describes
the speaker’s happiness when he is among nature. The speaker describes the
daffodils and stars as possessing human-like qualities in which they dance and
flutter. The poem establishes a definite unity between the speaker and nature.
The only relationship I find between this poem and the lecture I saw is the
connection between the unity the speaker of the poem has with nature and the
potential for unity Americans have should we all assume a great mutual resect
and civility for each other.
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