Spokane Civics Salon

Monthly Discussions On Democracy

Join us for a monthly 'salon' centered around the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States are. This month's topic: The political left and right - what do these mean?

Join Spokane Public Library's Current Affairs Specialist, Shane Gronholz, for a monthly 'salon' centered around discussions on what you believe the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States are. This month, we'll be asking the question: what is meant by the terms 'the right' and 'the left' in a political context?

Spokane Civics Salon will meet from 2:00-3:30 PM on the last Sunday of every month. Each Salon will be focused on a particular "text."

This month's text is a podcast episode. In particular, it is an episode of the podcast Matt Lewis and the News. In it, Lewis interviews Hyrum Lewis, and they discuss his recent book The Myth of Left and Right.

You can listen here, or search for it in your favorite podcast app.

This event will take place in Conference Room B on the third floor of Central Library.

What does Chat-gpt have to say about this?

Shane recently asked Chat-gpt to explain the difference between the political left and right. Here is what it had to say:

The political left and right are terms used to describe different ideological positions in politics. The main difference between the two is their attitude towards the role of government in society.

The political left generally believes in a more active role for government in addressing social and economic inequality. They support government intervention in the economy to promote equality and protect workers' rights, as well as policies to provide a social safety net for those in need. The political left is also generally more supportive of individual rights, including reproductive rights, LGBT rights, and civil liberties.

The political right, on the other hand, tends to support a more limited role for government in society. They believe in individual responsibility and freedom, and often oppose government intervention in the economy or social issues. The political right typically supports lower taxes and less regulation of businesses, as well as a stronger military and law enforcement. They also tend to be more socially conservative, opposing abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and other progressive social policies.

It's important to note that the terms "left" and "right" are not fixed, and political ideologies can vary across different countries and historical periods. Additionally, many political issues are complex and can't be neatly divided into left vs. right categories.

What is a salon? 
A Salon is a gathering of people guided by a host who come together to exchange ideas and increase their knowledge through meaningful conversation. 

Shane holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Colorado Boulder. He has taught courses in logic, ethics, social and political philosophy, and the philosophy of law. He has been published in the areas of the nature of rationality, human well-being, and the ethics of personal relationships.

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We strive to make events welcoming for people of all abilities. To request accommodations, call the library at 509-444-5308.

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