The Virtue of Civility

Civility is a paradoxical virtue. For some, civility is not a virtue at all, but rather is an important civic duty, operating as a synonym for other civic dispositions generally valued, such as respect or tolerance. For others, civility has a dark side and is used by those with power to question and silence the voices and interests of others. On the other hand, and more positively, civility is a vital and often-invoked virtue for political life and debate--a virtue that also holds moral relevance. It is certainly the case that a (real or perceived) lack of civility and a prevalence of incivility is generally regarded as a vice and as damaging to healthy civic discourse and relationships. Despite repeated calls for greater civility in public life, the concept remains contested and hard to pin down precisely. The key question is whether--and if so, precisely why--civility should be considered a virtue.

In The Virtue of Civility, a diverse group of leading scholars offer their insights and analysis into civility as a virtue. They bring a wide range of cultural and philosophical perspectives as they think through and define civility within democracies today. The result is a comprehensive, critical, and compelling account of civility as a virtue.

Andrew Peterson is Professor of Character and Citizenship Education at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham. His research focuses on conceptual and operationalised understandings of core concepts central to moral and civic education. He has published many articles and books on such themes, including Civility and Democratic Education (2019).