Resolving Ideological Clashes Through Dialogue: Abortion as a Case Study

Controversies presented in absolute moral terms afford little opportunity for resolution by appeal to either legal definitions or empirical social science evidence. Two models that offer some hope of resolution for such seemingly intractable conflicts as that on abortion are described. The collaborative behavior model is illustrated by a real-life attempt to unite some key protagonists in the abortion debate in efforts to work together on a superordinate common purpose, while leaving the basic beliefs of the individuals unchanged. The ideological reconciliation model is presented as a method in which dialogues might be structured to offer some hope of modifying beliefs. The attempt to change the beliefs of the parties about abortion, using the ideological reconciliation model, is illustrated by a hypothetical dialogue, constructed according to the principles of the model. The implications of a model for resolving ideological disputes in the postmodern era are discussed.