Are we living in a more polarised society?

Note: Café Philo is a way of meeting interesting, inquiring people who enjoy talking about life's big issues and conundrums in a convivial atmosphere, rather than a heavy-duty philosophy seminar. Read more about our approach here.

Are we living in a more polarised society?
One of the most pressing questions for contemporary democracies is whether we are becoming increasingly polarised as a society, and if so, what this means for our collective future.

Polarisation refers to the process by which public opinion divides and moves toward opposite extremes. We can distinguish two crucial types: Ideological polarisation occurs when people's actual policy positions become more extreme and further apart. Affective polarisation happens when people maintain similar policy views but develop stronger negative feelings toward those they perceive as political opponents.
Evidence suggests we may be experiencing more of the latter—while policy preferences haven't dramatically shifted, our emotional reactions to "the other side" have intensified significantly.

Why might this be? We increasingly live in separate information ecosystems ("bubbles"), consuming news and social media that reinforce existing beliefs. Geographic sorting means we're more likely to live among people who share our political views. Social and political identities have become more aligned, creating "mega-identities" where party affiliation correlates strongly with race, religion, geography, and lifestyle choices.

Perhaps most concerning, partisans increasingly view political opponents not merely as wrong, but as threats to the nation's well-being. This shift from policy disagreement to identity-based conflict has profound implications.

Some of the questions we might explore are:

• What does "polarisation" really mean in a social and political context, and is it measurable?
• Is polarisation necessarily harmful to society, or can it serve positive functions?
• Are we experiencing genuine ideological polarisation, or is it primarily affective polarisation (dislike of the other side)?

Historical and comparative perspectives

• There is a tendency to see one's own era as historically exceptional, but how does current polarisation compare to other periods in history, such as the rise of fascism in the 1930s, or the social upheavals of the 1960s?
• Is this (for now?) primarily an American phenomenon? Conversely, are there societies today that seem less polarised than ours, and what can we learn from them?
• Is polarisation an inevitable feature of democratic societies, or can it be avoided?

Causes and mechanisms

• To what extent do social media and algorithmic content curation contribute to polarisation?
• How do economic inequality and geographic sorting influence political and social divisions?
• What role do media fragmentation and partisan news sources play in creating separate information ecosystems?

Psychological and social dimensions

• How do cognitive biases like confirmation bias and motivated reasoning fuel polarisation?
• Is polarisation primarily driven by elite political actors or by grassroots sentiment?
• How does group identity formation contribute to an "us versus them" mentality?

Consequences and solutions

• What are the practical consequences of polarisation for governance and social cohesion?
• Can deliberative democracy and structured dialogue help bridge divides?
• What individual and institutional changes might reduce harmful polarisation?

Resources
Kris De Meyer, The genie of polarisation - how can we get it back in the bottle? (TEDxLondon)
Divided Britain? Report by KCL Policy Institute
Jonathan Haidt, The moral roots of liberals and conservatives (TED talk)
Britain Connects: reducing political polarisation and fostering dialogue during national lockdown
Affective Polarization in the Wealthy, Democratic World (NBER)