James E. Bruce opens his reply to my previous essay with gracious remarks, which I appreciate and reciprocate. I could not help noticing that part of what he was being gracious about was that “Disagreement helps us think more carefully about what we believe and whether we are right to believe it.” The idea here is as old as Socrates, who was put to death because not enough people understood it, and indeed for most philosophers it is a foundational principle. John Stuart Mill used this principle as the basis for his defense of robust rights of freedom of conscience and freedom of expression. Mill notes that while such rights are protections of individuals, they benefit the entire community.
Aeon J. Skoble, "Tenure: The Good Outweighs the Bad -- A Surresponse to James E. Bruce," Journal of Markets & Morality 22, no. 1 (Spring 2019): 207-210.