The State of Debate: The Season In Review On Intelligence Squared U.S.Podcast

 The concept of debate has been corrupted today. What once was an intellectual exploration of facts and the ways in which we interpret them has turned into a free-for-all, audio wrestling match with people yelling, screaming, cursing at one another and demonizing the other side. Cable news channels believe a debate exists when several members of a social, economic or political viewpoint gang up on the one person invited to be the rhetorical punching bag. 

Battling against the diminution of debate into an intellectual knife fight, Intelligence Squared U.S. CEO Clea Conner recently noted,"In this moment, where you hear this phrase 'Post-truth world' bandied about - 'oh, we're in a Post truth world, we can't find the truth.' I mean, I feel like that's the function of debate, to try and get to that truth. It's a synthesis of the ideas on both sides." 

 

  The Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates podcast is funded and produced by a non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S., which was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches millions of viewers and listeners through multi-platform distribution, including radio, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Apple TV.

With close to 200 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.

Generally, it is good practice for any individual or organization to occasionally step back and evaluate a few big picture items. But when that review is sparked by a pandemic and real uncertainties about the state of western democracy, that little exercise often becomes existential. In that spirit, and in this special season review, Intelligence Squared casts a critical lens on itself; its mission to serve as a beacon for civil discourse, its examination of opposing perspectives; and the transformation the organization itself has experienced in light of such seismic events.

In this especially candid discussion, Intelligence Squared (IQ2) podcast host John Donvan sits down with Intelligence Squared CEO Clea Conner, editor-at-large of Reason magazine, Nick Gillespie, and Robert Litan, an economist and attorney, whose recent book Resolved: Debate Can Revolutionize Education and Help Save Our Democracy bears particular relevance to this conversation. 

Collectively, this group asks the hard questions about the role of debate in society, but also of how IQ2 pivoted as the virtual world opened up. Finally, it is a look at the precious few places left for genuine discussion, and why, perhaps, it is needed now more than ever. 

 Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates acts as a counter-measure to the lack of a shared reality that damages unity, collaboration and a sense of compromise. 

Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates is a podcast that doesn’t take sides in political dogfights. Instead, the podcast uses facts, logic, reason, emotional intelligence and a shared vision to urge listeners to question, validate, contemplate, reflect and even see differing points of view.

Listen to the new Intelligence Squared U.S. episode "The State of Debate: An Intelligence Squared Roundtable" here or on any podcast app: https://smarturl.it/iq2podcast