Principled Pluralism Fellowship at Wake Forest University
The Principled Pluralism Fellowship at Wake Forest provides students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, research skills, and civic capacities needed to engage difference with empathy, integrity, and purpose.
Americans are deeply polarized. The institutions, commitments, and practices that have long helped us find common ground are under stress. At the same time, America is becoming more diverse, making it even more important that we learn to recognize and understand our differences.
The Principled Pluralism Fellowship aims to support up to six students per summer who pursue research on principled pluralism, write a joint white paper on its importance, and organize a campus event to promote meaningful dialogue across difference. The Fellowship aspires to transform students and inform a larger conversation about the value of principled pluralism in our cultural context.
The Fellowship includes a stipend of $4,000, housing on campus, and up to $500 for supplies and research materials related to the project. Fellows also receive personal mentoring from experts in the field. The Fellowship is currently scheduled for 8 weeks of the summer and will be overseen by the Program for Leadership and Character.
The Fellowship is open to all Wake Forest students from diverse backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Bradley Burroughs at burroub@wfu.edu.
- What is principled pluralism? Principled pluralism affirms as a matter of first principle the importance of respecting different beliefs and viewpoints, rooted in a commitment to both individual dignity and shared community. It affirms the value of robust engagement across differences and encourages sharing one’s values and viewpoints while engaging generously, even if critically, with people who hold different commitments and perspectives. Principled pluralism encourages humility and openness and seeks to promote a respectful and skilled approach to discussion, disagreement, and collaboration in the midst of acknowledged differences. Principled pluralism favors a vibrant, dynamic public sphere enriched by a diversity of viewpoints.