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Our society is dangerously polarized. We don’t listen to each other. Too many of us are seperating into ideological tribes. This has to stop. The future of our democracy depends on it. This is what the Munk Debates is all about. Opening minds to different points of view. Challenging group think. Debating controversial issues with rigor and honesty. Welcome to our community.

Feature Debate

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Our Mission is to help the world rediscover the art of civil and substantive debate by convening the sharpest minds and brightest thinkers to weigh in on the big issues of the day.

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May 12, 2022

Russia-Ukraine War

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Be it resolved, ending the world’s worst geopolitical crisis in a generation starts with acknowledging Russia’s security interests.

Pro: John Mearsheimer
Stephen Walt

Con: Michael McFaul
Radosław Sikorski

Result: Con wins with a 34% vote gain

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December 4, 2019

Capitalism

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Be it resolved, the capitalist system is broken. It's time to try something different...

Pro: Katrina vanden Heuvel
Yanis Varoufakis

Con: Arthur Brooks
David Brooks

Result: Con wins by a margin of 2%

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May 9, 2019

China

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Be it resolved, China is a threat to the liberal international order...

Pro: H.R. McMaster
Michael Pillsbury

Con: Kishore Mahbubani
Huiyao Wang

Result: Con wins by a narrow margin of 2%

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Feature Dialogue

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The Winter 2022 Munk Dialogues explore the topic of reason and rationality, from the perspective of the individual to society at large. How do our brains actually work when it comes to our faculty to reason? What role does reason play in our evolution as a species and the development of the modern society? And, what is happening to reason and rationality today?

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April 28, 2022

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali joins us for an enlightening, members-only discussion on how many of our longstanding beliefs about reasoning and rationality are coming under attack at a time when they are needed most.

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April 7, 2022

Julia Galef

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Julia Galef joined us on April 7 for a fascinating, members-only discussion on why embracing a scout’s mindset, one that champions curiosity and truth-seeking over knee jerk reactions, will give us the tools we need to make smarter decisions.

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March 17, 2022

Daniel Dennett

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Daniel Dennett joined us on March 17 for a special members-only discussion on the origin of human consciousness, and how our minds have been shaped by natural selection and generations of cultural evolution.

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Feature Podcast

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We are the world’s first podcast dedicated to convening one-on-one debates between today’s biggest thinkers and sharpest minds.

September 9, 2022

Rob Reich Dialogue

September 9, 2022

Guests: Rob Reich

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Timothy Brook Dialogue

August 30, 2022

Guests: Timothy Brook

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David Broder Dialogue

August 23, 2022

Guests: David Broder

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Victor Gao Dialogue

August 16, 2022

Guests: Victor Gao

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