Whether someone can explain the difference between a “healthy debate” and a full-fledged argument or not, everyone recognizes disagreement is a part of life. In a culture increasingly defined by acrimonious conflict, toleration (let alone friendship) often feels like an impossibility. Sadly, with the 2024 Presidential election swiftly approaching, we can expect conflict to appear with regularity in the months ahead. In this cultural moment, John Inazu’s Learning to Disagree offers a helping hand.
Inspired in part by the acrimony experienced at his own day job as a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Inazu wrote this book with a deceptively simple premise: “to change the way you engage with disagreement”[1] Of course, delivering on this task is not an easy achievement. With an unwieldy mission before him, Inazu’s Learing to Disagree follows an unorthodox structure. The book itself is a window into the author’s life as a professor with each chapter corresponding to a month of the academic calendar. The book’s opening chapter on August, for example, contains vignettes from that month, such as Inazu cold calling shell-shocked students entering their first year of law school.
Each chapter, centered on a specific value or concept, also draws upon Inazu’s plethora of life experiences and legal expertise. This unique structure foundationally changes the book’s effectiveness. Instead of simply preaching at readers like a rulebook to just be more agreeable, Learning to Disagree itself is a partner in learning. By coming alongside the reader, Inazu illuminates how difficult conflict can be and shows that a personal touch can be the antidote needed to overcome it.
To demonstrate how confusing conflict can be, in the first chapter of Learning to Disagree, Inazu throws the reader a curveball even the best of MLB pitchers would envy. While teaching his criminal law class, Inazu offers a story from nineteenth century England in which three men who were hopelessly lost at sea killed and ate a member of their crew (7). Suffice to say, this book is not for the faint of heart. Inazu asks one of his new students, “Is there any way to justify the actions of these three men?” (8) This is a surprising twist for a book published by Zondervan. Nevertheless, Inazu’s underlying point stands as insightful. Even in the very worst circumstances, we ought to try and understand the unique experiences of other individuals.
This is not to say we will end up agreeing with them. (Cannibalism isn’t something that I suspect Inazu will be endorsing any time in the near future). However, by assuming the best of another individual, their argument may make more sense. In certain cases, empathy may make vital flaws in an argument more apparent. I suspect Inazu places this story at the start because its lessons act as themes throughout the entirety of the book. The story and Inazu’s reflection on it illuminate the importance of epistemic humility, empathy, and acknowledging our opponent’s humanity. While Learning to Disagree calls on its readers to focus on the humanity of others, the author’s own humanity comes through in its pages.
Because of the structure of Learning to Disagree, the book feels like an encounter with Inazu himself. The reader comes into contact with a unique individual with unique experiences that have led to unique beliefs, many of which the reader is likely to disagree with. Inazu in fact counts on the fact you will disagree with him. The book, focused on practical application, includes a reflection guide. One of the questions asks: “When did you disagree with the author?” (180) Not if, but when.
It’s easy to see when readers will bristle at Inazu’s own beliefs. If you are politically on the left, you will grow frustrated at Inazu’s opposition to social activism. Likewise, Inazu’s commitment to no longer swearing the pledge of allegiance (despite previously serving in the military) will irk right-leaning readers. Inazu’s openness with these unpopular opinions is didactic. Inazu’s concern is reversing the cultural tide and bringing a culture of civility and grace. To do so requires practice.
With an eye toward application, as Inazu’s own opinions and humanity are embodied in the pages of Learning to Disagree, the reader is forced to put into practice the very lessons espoused within the book while reading it. When conservative readers become aghast that Inazu demonstrates a measured openness to Critical Race Theory, they themselves must practice empathy and consider what experiences have led to Inazu’s conclusion. While explanations and insights come, Inazu lets the reader sit in discomfort. Even before setting the book down, Learning to Disagree itself proves to be a practical and helpful tool to building empathy and humility and sitting in the discomfort of disagreement as you learn to understand another individual. Hopefully, readers, I foremost among them, can learn to put into practice the important lessons from Learning to Disagree and contribute to a culture defined by civility and grace.
John Inazu’s Learning to Disagree will be released by Zondervan on April 2, 2024.
[1] John Inazu, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2024), xi. Hereafter, page references to this work appear in parentheses within the text.
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