“The joy inherent in democracy comes through shared speech”: Hélène L'Heuillet, philosopher

La Croix l'Hebdo: Talking to a stranger with opposing ideas was the experience shared by more than 6,000 French people during the first edition of "Faut qu'on parle." What do you think such an initiative achieves?

Hélène L'Heuillet: To recreate spaces for discussion! Talking with someone who disagrees with you has become rare. It's even one of the main factors in the growing polarization of our society. The influence of social media is to blame, of course, but also the disappearance, outside of major cities, of traditional social spaces such as cafés and bistros. Let's remember the role they played in the ^19th century, where clans around the mayor, the priest, and the teacher would meet there to debate their disagreements. Such an exchange, between secularists and clergy, seems bizarre to us today, as we tend to avoid contentious topics for fear of violent confrontation.

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