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In this lively conversation on an increasingly significant theme, major philosophers and religious scholars argue the issue on three levels. The first is manners: Henry Rosemont argues the Confucian case that manners are the substance of social relations, while Edwin Delattre and Adam Seligman believe that the issue is deeper than that; and the sociologist Alan Wolfe is persuaded that we are not less civil or ill-mannered than our predecessors. Secondly, as a social issue, James Schmidt, Lawrence Cahoone, and Adam Seligman turn to questions of structure and meaning in a civil society; Ninian Smart, David Wong, and Virginia Straus put the issue in a cross-cultural context; Stephen Toulmin describes the corruption of civility by dogmatism; and Carrie Doehring warns that civility may be a barrier to honest communication in family life. Finally, the metaphysical and religious dimensions of civility are explored by Robert Pippin, Adam McClellan, and Daniel Dahlstrom.

There seems to be a consensus that the lack of civility is, indeed, an increasing problem, that it is more than a class issue of manners; and that its current loss is troubling for contemporary society.