Knox College will host a free public discussion Thursday with Cornel West and Robert P. George on fruitful disagreement and truth-seeking. The event, at Central Congregational Church on the Public Square in Downtown Galesburg, begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the community.
On Galesburg’s Morning News, President Andrew McGadney and Associate Professor Thomas Bell previewed the talk. They explained why this moment feels timely for addressing polarization, where disagreement often turns strained and binary. McGadney noted that people are compelled to “pick a side and fight for it,” leaving little room for nuance.
Click above to listen to the full interview with President Andrew McGadney and Professor Thomas Bell.
West, a prominent progressive intellectual, and George, a leading conservative scholar from Princeton, have built a friendship despite deep differences on politics, race and economics. Their book, Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division, highlights how such relationships can model constructive dialogue. Bell, who will moderate, said the conversation will show that truth-seeking comes through contestation, not avoidance.
The discussion is the flagship event for Knox’s Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership and Dialogue, launched in fall 2024. The institute aims to teach students and the community skills for deliberative democracy, building on Knox’s legacy that includes hosting the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate. The church location—on the town square and with a history as an abolitionist congregation—adds resonance, according to Bell.
Bell described the format as a moderated conversation followed by audience Q&A. McGadney hopes attendees, from students to residents across viewpoints, leave encouraged that civil discourse is still possible. “Meet some new folks that you disagree with, but you can still go have a cup of coffee with afterwards,” he said.
The event is free. Doors open early.