At odds with themselves: David Hume's skeptical citizens.

Polity, March, 1997 by Chabot, Dana

The management of civic strain can be undertaken by adopting David Hume's skeptical moralism which questions existing beliefs without necessarily destroying them. This method is an alternative to two other approaches: the bracketing method, which recommends the setting aside of personal views during political debate, and the priority method, which seeks to fashion viewpoints according to the dictates of good citizenship.

The management of civic strain, the experience of feeling torn between conflicting identities or moral commitments, has become a matter of lively debate. Most liberal theorists have adopted either of two approaches to the problem, urging either that we "bracket," or set aside, our views on certain divisive issues when engaging in political debate or that...

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