Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. This book explores whether close examination of a core aspect of divisiveness, of personal or moral conviction, can help repair fissures and tears in our social tissue. It offers an educational intervention, arguing that civility as an orientating attitude, when taught as part of a process in an educational setting, provides conditions to moderate both the properties and content of conviction. Matters that individuals hold with an attitude of conviction are often treated as being settled or “closed.” The book discusses that the major role of education is for students to become engaged citizens. It focuses on the cultivation of conviction in groups by designing spaces for reflecting on one’s own values, beliefs, and narratives, as well as a connection to others.