"The polarisation of argument, combined with the intellectual arrogance of all those who think they know the truth, bode ill for the future of reasoned discourse"

Freedom of Speech (1943) by Norman Rockwell

"[A]llowing 'offensive' speakers to have their say ... you might learn something from the speaker, or at least be able to sharpen your own arguments ... In the professional world [especially], it won’t be enough to deem ... opponents evil and declare the battle won....
    "[T]here’s really nothing here that you can’t read in the must-read pamphlet 'On Liberty' by John Stuart Mill (it’s free online here, WHICH YOU MUST READ NOW), except it goes doubly for law students, who are constantly, no matter what their job, forced to stand in their opponents’ shoes and think, 'What is the best argument they can throw at me?' If they don’t think that way, they’ll be lousy lawyers.
    "But this goes for everyone else, too. Unfortunately, the polarisation of [argument], combined with the intellectual arrogance of all those who think they know the truth, and thus doesn’t have to listen to anybody’s arguments, bode ill for the future of reasoned discourse."

~ Jerry Coyne, from his post 'Pamela Paul on the Stanford Law School debacle'