The Arete Initiative at Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics seeks funding for two four-day seminars to be held in summers 2022 and 2023. The seminars will prepare recent professors to teach a course based on Associate Director John Rose’s popular Duke class, “How to Think in an Age of Political Polarization.” The class promotes civil discourse and cultivates the intellectual virtues necessary to address the problems caused by the intense polarization and deep-seated divisions in America today. The seminars will be led by Dr. Rose together with Prof. Teresa Bejan of Oxford University (author of Mere Civility) and will feature respected guest speakers who have written and taught on civil discourse. Seminar participants will be drawn from a range of universities, with a focus on liberal arts colleges. Participants will agree to teach a course based on the seminar at their home institutions. Arete aims to make an impact at a range of universities, at both the faculty and undergraduate levels. Arete believes the seminars will help faculty and students implement and appreciate the values of open and reasonable dialogue on topics of deep-seated disagreement, dialogue which we strongly believe is necessary if we hope to have a healthy, functioning, and free democratic society.