Picture it: two people having an apéro (cocktail before dinner) at a cafe in Paris.
They’re discussing the recent decision by the government to ban the abaya from public schools (which I have written about before) as a way of safeguarding a long-held policy of keeping religion out of government.
There are two, completely valid sides to this argument, and each person has an opposing view. The two are engaged, perhaps impassioned — but not angry — as they discuss this recent controversy. They each present their own side of the argument, with facts and examples to back them up.
They may disagree strongly with one another. But here’s the thing: this is a sport — not a bloodsport — just a sporting conversation before dinner. A game of intellectual ping-pong. And once the debate comes to a close, both sides’ respect for the other remains intact. Everyone remains friends.
Debating is one of the cornerstones of French life. Whether in rural communities or the highest levels of government, people love to bring their logic and argument to a discussion. The point is not to have a solution: it’s to debate it.
One day, a friend of mine who has lived in Paris for more than 25 years asked me, “Did you ever notice that when there’s a news story, TV news shows will invite a philosopher on to discuss it?”
I had to think about this, because while I love tuning into French television news, it’s a lot of talk talk talk talk talk.
I realize that, as a journalist myself, philosophy does have a place in news and culture. It’s about understanding the values and minds of the people.
France has been home to many renowned philosophers who helped shape societies around the world. And the tradition of intellectual discourse goes back centuries.
For example, in the 18th century, salons were held to hash out the day’s issues or to discuss ideas. Rather than it being something only for the nobility, the ‘common’ people were allowed to take part. Women were tasked with choosing the topics and overseeing the discussion, which allowed them to have a role, however limited they were in a male-dominated society.
I once read a quote by a famed American Congressman about the 1980s. He said he would debate with his political adversaries on Capitol Hill, then they’d go to the bar and have a beer together afterward. Those days are long gone, but I wonder what would happen if Americans adopted the same conviviality around debating as the French?
I guess my takeaway on all this is that if we put the social media down and have a drink at a cafe and talk about each other’s perspectives respectfully… well, you fill in the blank.