A Civil Tongue

A Civil Tongue: Justice, Dialogue, and the Politics of Pluralism, Volume 1, examines the fundamental human desire for effective social discourse within political philosophy. Mark Kingwell explores how citizens can justify their societal choices through meaningful communication rather than relying on abstract theories of the good life. This work addresses the dialogic turn in modern thought, analyzing how thinkers like Jürgen Habermas and Richard Rorty approach the determination of justice as a cooperative social task.

The text investigates the limitations of existing dialogic models to propose a new framework titled justice as civility. By integrating insights from sociolinguistics and the study of etiquette, Kingwell develops a theory centered on courtesy and structured interaction. This academic volume serves as a significant resource for those studying justice, dialogue, and the complexities of pluralism. It offers a fresh perspective on how social discourse functions as a tool for political legitimation.