Kwame Appiah's Making Conversation And The Primacy Of Practice

Conversation has brought awareness and resolution to many different situations. As explained by Kwame Appiah in his two excerpts “Making Conversation” and “The Primacy of Practice”, he sees conversation and communication with one another as important tools to achieve this ideology of cosmopolitanism. Over the last few decades, the United States has started to accept homosexual couples due to conversations which have also led to the support of gay civil rights and some change in religious outlooks on the matter, if this communication with one another continues, then not just this country but many others can support these couples for gay rights.
To begin with, conversations over time in its many forms have allowed the support of homosexual couples
The many types of conversations have made it possible for people to see another perspective other than their own. In Madeleine Albright’s excerpts “Faith and Diplomacy” she discusses how genuine conversations and being willing to “stand in someone else’s shoes” opens the possibilities to discover similarities that can help resolve religious conflicts around the world (Albright 39). This same tactic can also be used for the subject of homosexual couples and their rights. Putting a person in someone else’s shoes often shows that if they were in this person’s position he or she would want the same rights that they have now, realizing that everyone no matter who they are deserve the same treatment. Conversation begins with a kind of imaginative engagement that comes from some place other than your own (Appiah 82). Conversing in its many forms can assist with changing ignorant ideals some may have if they are able to see a different perspective. In the last two decades, there has been some change in various religious groups to allow same-sex couples to marry within their traditions such as the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements, as well as Unitarian Universalist Association and
According to a Pew Research Center forum, in 2000, the Netherlands became the first country to fully legalize same-sex marriage, the legalization not only allowed marriage for same-sex couples but also divorce and the ability to adopt a child. Since then, 17 other counties have followed in the same if not similar footsteps as the Dutch to allow marriage all throughout their counties (Sciupac and Masci). There are also counties that have not fully acquired homosexual marriage throughout their nation as those countries did, but have granted marriage within jurisdictions. For example, the United States allows marriage of same-sex couples in 19 of its 50 states (Sciupac and Masci). “The recent history of America does show that a society can radically change its attitudes… But it also suggests that some people will stay with the old attitudes, and the whole process will take time” (Appiah 81). People have been willing to change their attitude and views towards something, such as, gay rights, but it may be a tough thing to do so it will take some time. Overall, these counties, whether they fully or partially allow marriage, shows how society has been improving around the