The following has been pared and edited for clarity. 

Q: Many Menlo students engage in civic discussions, but often in spaces with people who share similar views. How can young people develop the skills to engage in meaningful disagreements across political polarization and division?

A: Engaging in conversations across political differences is through practice. And I think that the kind of assembly we had today where students gathered and we considered some questions to do with criminal justice and others to do with new technology. I thought today students did an excellent job of articulating their positions, of voicing their disagreements with one another with civility and mutual respect. I found this very impressive, and inspiring and I think the more practice we have and the more occasions students have to develop these skills, the better off we will be as a society. 

Q: We noticed that throughout all of your lectures, you engage students through hand-raising and direct participation. Why do you prioritize that interactive style and how do you think it changes the way people engage with philosophical questions, especially for younger students?

A: I think the interactive style of lecturing is an important way of exposing students to the art of democratic argument and public discourse. I also think it’s a good way to teach philosophy to encourage students to articulate their positions to contend with the disagreements that they may have with some of their classmates and develop the habits of listening attentively to one another.. This ability is missing in the wider society, which is all the more reason to give it greater emphasis in schools like Menlo.

Q: In our Elections class, our teacher asked us to consider whether Menlo, as a private institution, is contributing to the common good. Given your critiques of meritocracy and elite institutions, how do you personally reconcile teaching at Harvard with your belief that we need to rethink universities as arbiters of opportunity and how should students at institutions like Harvard or Menlo think about their role in promoting the common good?

A: I think people who teach at Harvard, or attend Harvard or attend schools like Menlo should be aware of the privilege that such institutions provide. I think with that opportunity comes obligations — including civic obligations — to contribute to the common good, to regard educational opportunities not only as a private benefit, but also as a way of contributing to the public good. 

Q: Menlo students often pursue leadership roles — in student government, sports, or clubs. What ethical considerations do you think are most important for young leaders coming out of high school and college today? 

A: The most important ethical considerations for students with remarkable educational opportunities such as those provided by Menlo is to ask how to put the skills, talents, gifts and opportunities [to use] to promote the common good. And my impression from my visit to Menlo is that this is a widely held commitment that Menlo does a very good job of cultivating and encouraging that.

Q: You’ve talked about how politics today is shaped by the divide of people with and without college degrees. As students are preparing to enter high school, how can they avoid perpetuating the credentialist condensation (those with formal degrees looking down on those who do not) that you describe in your book, “Tyranny of Merit”?

A: I think that we as a society should give greater emphasis to meritocratic competition and to recognizing and affirming the dignity of work. By the dignity of work, I mean the work undertaken by everyone who contributes to the economy and into the common good whether or not they have a university or a college education. Those of us who are engaged in higher education and students who are competing to win admission to selective colleges and universities need to remember that most of our fellow citizens do not have a four-year college degree. So, it’s a mistake, I think, to arrange our economy in a way that confers all of its rewards on those who do have academic credentials and university degrees. We work toward an economy that rewards and honors everyone’s contributions, whether or not they have a college diploma.