Friends across the aisle

One is a democratic socialist who ran for president in 2024 advocating for reparations and universal basic income. The other is a conservative Catholic who has long argued against same-sex marriage and abortion. Cornel West and Robert George disagree on almost everything in politics, yet they can’t seem to stop talking to each other. 

The two will bring their unlikely bromance to Augustana on Thursday, Oct. 15 for the fourth annual Critical Inquiry and Citizenship Colloquium. The lecture begins at 7 p.m. in the Elmen Center. They will also speak at chapel on Friday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m.

Steven Minister, professor of philosophy and the Stanley L. Olsen Chair of Moral Values, organizes the colloquium. Minister said the colloquium is meant to get the campus talking about difficult issues in a diverse society.

Senior psychology major Jess Nelson said she first encountered West back in 2020 while scrolling on TikTok.

“I don’t remember what he was talking about, but I thought, ‘Wow, he’s really passionate, and I want to hear more of what he has to say,’” Nelson said.

What kept her watching, she said, was that West “didn’t water down” divisive topics, yet still tried to instill hope into his audience.

That blend of moral urgency and hope has defined much of West’s career. 

West rose to national prominence with his 1993 bestseller "Race Matters," a critical analysis of American racism. A lifelong champion of civil rights and democratic socialism, he is known for advancing prophetic pragmatism — a philosophy that combines moral critique with activism. West ran for president as an independent candidate in 2024, advocating for Medicare for All, reparations and universal basic income. West currently serves as the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair of Philosophy and Christian Practice at the Union Theological Seminary.

George, a Princeton professor of jurisprudence, has long defended natural law and religious liberty and is a prominent opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage. He received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President George W. Bush in 2008 and The New York Times called him America's "most influential conservative Christian thinker" in 2009.

David Golemboski, associate professor of government and international affairs, described George as “kind of a Reagan Republican.”

“He's a defender of the free market, but also a defender of individual rights and liberty,” Golemboski said.

West and Georges’ friendship began in 2005 with a student magazine interview and grew while the two taught a class together at Princeton. George said that their conversations have a tendency to run long. 

He recalled a conversation with West that went on for so long that they stood by his car for an extra 45 minutes, George's hand still on the door handle. He finally told West, "My goodness, Cornel, if I don't get home for dinner, my wife's going to file a missing person's report."

In 2025, the two published "Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division.” In it, they argue that society's problem is not that people disagree with each other, but how they disagree. Honest disagreement, they write, is how people reach the truth, and doing it well takes humility and mutual respect.

George said their shared faith gives them common ground, including a belief that life has meaning and purpose. "We both believe in the profound, inherent and equal dignity of each and every member of the human family," he said.

Nelson said she believes cross-partisan friendships like West and George’s are rare on campus. She attributes this to the current divisive and radical political climate.

“Students here tend to hang out with people who share the same beliefs,” she said. “A lot of the time, people try to avoid talking about politics because they already know it can be a deal breaker for a friendship.”

George said he hopes their appearance will show students how people with deep political disagreements can regard each other as friends rather than "people to be defeated and destroyed."

Lecture tickets are free but limited and available at augie.edu/CICCTickets. Students in First-Year Seminar classes will automatically receive tickets.