Echo Chambers, Confucian Harmony and Civility

UCL Uncovering Politics

Echo chambers are a growing concern in today’s social and political landscape, reinforcing existing beliefs and fostering distrust. Some argue that civility isn’t owed to those entrenched in these environments, while others suggest that moderate incivility is justified in response to problematic views. But what if there’s a better way?

In this episode, we explore an alternative vision inspired by Chinese philosophy. Emily's guest, Kyle van Oosterum, introduces the concept of ‘reparative civility’—a framework rooted in Confucian traditions that aims to rebuild fractured social relationships. Kyle is a Research Fellow in Political Philosophy at UCL’s Digital Speech Lab, specializing in political theory, social epistemology, and democratic discourse.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Digital Speech Lab
• Kyle van Oosterum (2025) Confucian Harmony, Civility, and Echo Chambers. Journal of Applied Philosophy.

UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.