ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the importance of having a sense of the other, i.e., an understanding of the backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs of others for democracy. In democratic conversations, people with different backgrounds, interests, and ideas come together to agree, as far as possible, on solutions to shared problems. To do so, they must understand their fellow citizens. Having a diverse student body, in which students from many different cultures come together, can contribute to this. In liberal arts and sciences programmes, moreover, the curriculum, the methods of education, and the sense of community work together to create what has been called an international classroom. This chapter shows that students from liberal arts and sciences programmes believe that studying in such an environment helps them cultivate a sense of the other.
