‘Civil’ Discourse as ‘Civic’ Discourse: Problematizing Neutrality
It might seem that the forum for civil discourse has to be neutral for this discourse to occur. In fact, an adherence to neutrality often stifles constructive political discourse. At McGill, administrative appeals to neutrality amid Palestine protests reveal how “civility” and neutrality mask exclusion and suppress dissent. Drawing on theorists Iris Marion Young and Chantal Mouffe, this article argues that true civic/civil discourse demands not politeness but inclusive political communication—an open, sometimes uncomfortable, engagement with difference.