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The Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry and Belonging creates new opportunities for all Duke students, faculty and staff to maximize learning and growth in a pluralistic academic environment and society. This includes programs to foster constructive conversations across diverse perspectives and build skills to engage with complex topics with an open mind and humility. In addition, the initiative provides new and innovative curricular offerings; facilitates research connected to the themes of pluralism, free inquiry, and belonging; and hosts speakers and thought leaders with different perspectives.
We must widen our efforts to engage challenging societal issues from multiple and divergent perspectives and nurture the habits and skills needed for difficult conversations.
Provost Alec D. Gallimore
Poet Harjo Delivers 2026 Pluralism Lecture
Joy Harjo, a former United States Poet Laureate, described the power of poetry in enduring hardships, awaking to spiritual realities, and living in harmony with other people and the natural world in the 2026 Duke Chapel Pluralism Lecture on March 3.
“A poem is a ceremony,” Harjo said. “There is the title that says, this is the doorway, and then you go in, and each line and each image unfolds, and then by the end of the poem … you and your spirit have met, and the spirit of the poet have met, going forward changed.”
All Beliefs Welcome
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A recent article in Duke Today showcased how the Provost's Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging is championing free expression and constructive dialogue on campus.
“What’s distinctive about Duke’s approach is that it acknowledges there will be tensions among pluralism, free inquiry, and belonging,” said Associate Provost Noah Pickus, the initiative's co-chair. “It focuses on both the skills needed to navigate them and the dispositions and habits – the desire – to want to do so.”
Past Events
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Mar. 30 | Bret Stephens
The New York Times columnist Bret Stephens is a conservative who’s clear-eyed and candid about the fact that the Republican Party broke with conservatism when it embraced Donald Trump. Join Frank Bruni, Duke professor and Bret’s sparring partner in the popular Times feature “The Conversation,” for a robust discussion, part of Frank’s “Independent Thinkers” series.
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Mar. 24 | Justice and the Rule of Law: The Case of Constitutional Rights and Judicial Interpretation
Ben Chavis, Thavolia Glymph, John Hood, Jeanette Doran and moderator Kerry Abrams will consider the role that justice and rule of law have played in shaping the nation's founding and the significance of these values as we think about our society today and the society that we hope to see in the future. The public event is part of the Deliberative Series on American Values, a multi-university collaboration between Davidson College, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Duke University that marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
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Mar. 5 | Arthur Brooks
We all want to find happiness through a life lived with purpose. But how do our ways of thinking help or hinder us from finding meaning in our lives? How can conscious awareness of one’s emotions—a practice called “metacognition”—open up new possibilities for true flourishing? Join us for a lecture by Arthur Brooks, Professor at Harvard Business School, and a conversation with Iain McGilchrist (Oxford) and Nita Farahany (Duke Law).
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Mar. 5-7 | Cognitive Liberty: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
New developments in neuroscience and technological innovations are putting increasing pressure on the fundamental legal notions of moral autonomy, self-determination, liberty, and conscience. This trans-disciplinary meeting will bring together neuroscientists, philosophers, theologians, lawyers, and engineers to consider moral deliberation, neurorights, and what it means to be free to think and believe in the digital age.
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Mar. 3 | Former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo, the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022 and the first Native American to hold the position, will give a poetry reading and hold a public conversation at Duke Chapel. Titled “Poetry and Spirituality,” the event is the Chapel’s 2026 Pluralism Lecture.
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Feb 20 | Sen. Thom Tillis
Join the Program in American Grand Strategy for our spring Phillips Lecture with Senator Thom Tillis. Sen. Tillis was first elected to represent North Carolina in 2014 and is currently serving in his second term after being re-elected in 2020. Open to Duke students, staff, and faculty.
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Jan. 26 | The Bipartisan Betrayal of Free Speech
Are there any true free-speech warriors left in either of America’s two major political parties? What is behind the itch to restrict expression, and how do we correct it? Join Duke professor and New York Times columnist Frank Bruni for a spirited conversation – part of his “Independent Thinkers” series – with journalist, podcaster, and critic Katie Herzog, who has boldly examined and excoriated censorship on both sides of the political divide.
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Jan. 14 | Louis DeJoy and John Podesta
Join the Program in American Grand Strategy and the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging for a conversation about solving problems and how to make policy in an age of political polarization featuring Louis DeJoy, entrepreneur, business leader, and Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer for the United States Postal Service from 2020 to 2025, and John Podesta, founder and former chair for the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Center for American Progress, adviser to President Joe Biden, and counselor to President Barack Obama.
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Nov. 10 | “Crisis is a Time for Renewal:” A Conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna
How does America move past this fractious, furious juncture? Are there ways to bridge the divide and lessen the acrimony between rival political camps? Please join Duke professor and New York Times columnist Frank Bruni for a candid, wide-ranging conversation – part of his “Independent Thinkers” series of events – with U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, an increasingly prominent voice in the Democratic Party, a fierce advocate for a new generation of leadership and a possible contender for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
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Oct. 7 | Meritocracy on Trial: A Public Conversation on Michael Sandel’s The Tyranny of Merit
Michael Sandel, a leading public intellectual and political theorist, will discuss his book, The Tyranny of Merit, in a public conversation with Jedediah Purdy, the Raphael Lemkin Distinguished Professor of Law at Duke, and former U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon.
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Sept. 30 | Meet the Democrat Even Republicans Love
Join Duke professor Frank Bruni for the first event in his new "Independent Thinkers" conversation series. Frank will talk with Kody Kinsley, former Secretary of Health and Human Services for North Carolina, about working across party lines, how Democrats could better communicate with skeptical voters, and how we can move beyond political tribalism.
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Sept. 11 | Pluralism and Free Inquiry: Comparative Approaches
In this lecture hosted by Duke's Transformative Ideas program, David Wong will examine the philosophical foundations of pluralism and free inquiry through the lens of comparative philosophy. His lecture will be followed by a conversation with Michael Gillespie comparing Eastern and Western traditions—past and present—on free inquiry, pluralism, and education in the 21st century.
Latest News
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Across the Divide, In Conversation
Frank Bruni and Bret Stephens modeled how friendship, curiosity and face-to-face dialogue can cut through political tribalism during a March 30 public conversation at Penn Pavilion. Part of Bruni’s "Independent Thinkers" series, the fireside chat explored politics, media and higher education. But the most memorable through line was the relationship between the two men themselves.
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Expert Panel Examines Justice, Law, and Democracy at America's 250
As the U.S. approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Duke hosted a wide-ranging conversation about two values that have shaped the nation from its earliest days: justice and the rule of law. The event was part of the Deliberative Series on American Values, a multi-university collaboration among Duke University, Davidson College, and UNC-Chapel Hill.
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How Duke is Promoting Civil Dialogue Through “Transformative Ideas”
An article in the Heterodox Academy's Free the Inquiry Substack features Duke's Transformative Ideas program and how it "prompts students and faculty to wrestle with life’s enduring questions about meaning, purpose, and human flourishing."
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Rep. Ro Khanna Encourages Common Ground Through ‘Active Citizenship’
Khanna joined Duke Professor Frank Bruni for a wide-ranging conversation on how America might move past its fractious political moment and bridge the divides between rival camps, part of Bruni’s Independent Thinkers series, which is sponsored by the Provost's Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging.
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Duke Joins Peer Universities in Developing New Models for Fostering Dialogue
In October, leaders from Duke and seven other private universities met in Washington, D.C., to launch a shared effort to develop innovative models for strengthening constructive dialogue, open inquiry, and free expression in higher education.
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When I Was Wrong: Faculty Lessons From Their Mistakes
In an event sponsored by the Provost's Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging, more than 60 faculty and students shared stories about times when they were wrong and the barriers to opening up about intellectual or professional errors.
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Transformative Ideas Symposium Explores Intellectual Friendship
The symposium, the first event sponsored by the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging, offered an opportunity for students and faculty to gather in a festive setting for conversation and community.
People
Leadership
- Abbas Benmamoun, Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Linguistics
- Noah Pickus, Associate Provost and Professor of the Practice of Public Policy
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Contact Us
We want to hear from you. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for activities, please email PluralismFreeInquiryBelonging@duke.edu.