Where’s today’s Huxley vs. Wilberforce?
Among the plethora of things that are dying out in Britain, there is one glimmering gem that threatens to be lost forever unless it’s used and appreciated — that is public debate.
Observation 1: Unpopular Opinion is Unpopular
Having a non-conforming opinion has rapidly grown incongruent with modern society.
Let’s say you disagree with certain flags that appear everywhere. Or perhaps you’re not too sure about a particular ethnic group getting special treatment. Maybe, you’re unconvinced about environmental claims that seem to be taking the world by storm.
It’s hard to publicly disagree (even privately!) with those things without putting yourself at risk. Think about how objectors were treated during the height of Covid — even questioning the vaccines or the policies would see you branded as a traitor and a public enemy by friends, family, and society at large. People lost their careers. People lost their minds.
So, it’s been established then that having a viewpoint that goes against the prescribed and prevailing one can be challenging and risky.
Observation 2: Division is Divisive
We can also establish that we live in a world that has become more divisive than ever. You’re either this or you’re that. You’re either an ally or you’re not. Red or blue. Lib or con.
Global sociopolitical affairs have been deliberately orchestrated to create a fence, forcing people to pick a side rather than harmoniously explore all angles. You’re either fiercely one thing or frightfully another.
Again, think about the height of the pandemic — you were either pro-vaccine or anti. There was very little occupation of a sensible, considerate middle-ground. You were either conforming or dangerous.
Conclusion
All of these conditions suggest that now is the perfect time to reinvigorate public debate, that great institution that many a nation has yearned for but very few have achieved. And those that have achieved it, did so at the cost of blood.
We’re missing out on: the light that comes from heat, the facts that come from friction; the rational and reasonable thought that comes from having to defend your arguments and absorb the opposition’s rebuttals. No echo chambers, no hiding in concensus; how do you really know that what you assert is true or provable? Can your side of the fence really stand up to an articulate counter-argument?
We must not take this for granted. As mentioned, it took a long time for us to have this and we are in danger of losing it forever.
When Darwin’s bulldog, Thomas Huxley went up against Samuel Wilberforce, it was a showdown of two very important but opposing ideas: Evolution vs. Creationism. Why don’t we have versions of this today? The mood is ripe for strong debates between climate change protestors and those who are sceptical. Or perhaps a verbal rally around the pros and cons of Brexit, or migration, or LGBT, and the list goes on.
All too often these contentious subjects are left to headlines and viral videos, swaying audiences like tormenting waves causing nausea in some and inertia in others. Our part of the world appears to have become afraid of discussion and the vulnerability of having to support your stance with grace and good reason. This is to our detriment.
Even up to 15 years ago, I remember many TV programs and radio shows which provoked debate and encouraged lively discussions between opposing parties but in a mature, well-mannered setting. These seem to have disappeared, and are surrogated by sensationalism and partisanship.
Feathers are there to be ruffled. Stones are there to be turned. We learn more about what we know and what we don’t know, and we grow stronger and more ethical when we’re exposed and vulnerable to justification and argument.
We should be championing this great art of civil confrontation, of being unafraid to explore ideas without holding them sacrosanct. We have great halls and historic venues to host them, and now we’ve got the internet to proudly proliferate this noble sport across the world. At a time when one has to hold an unpopular, curious thought in the dark, we could have a flaming beacon of debate that invites all to partake, with their swords sheathed and their tongues poised.
