# Boosting Public Discourse: Towards a Targeted, Evidence-Based Strategy to Improve Moral Reasoning ## *Empower the next generation of citizens to engage in high-quality public discourse with an innovative decision-making game that develops critical thinking skills and a well-reflected use of moral key terms.* # Project description With the help of adolescents, we will identify moral key terms used in the context of the recent pandemic. We will study how these concepts are used in public discourse, providing a philosophical analysis. In a next step, we will develop a decision-making online game, together with the young advisors. The game will encourage participants to reflect on their own understanding of moral key terms, and help them to develop stronger moral arguments. # Background Public discourse is important for understanding the impact of pandemics and measures taken to control them. It is crucial for evaluating the proportionality of measures and for ensuring that a range of diverse perspectives are considered and included. Covid-19 has highlighted challenges in public discourse, such as limited participation from certain groups. A clear and consistent use of moral key terms in public discourse can help for better understanding and management of the pandemic. # Aim Our project aims to contribute to a better understanding of how public discourse may fail due to an unreflective use of moral key terms, and to probe a strategy for improving critical thinking skills focused on a well-reflected use of moral key terms among adolescents – the emerging next generation of citizens. # Significance Empowering citizens, particularly the young generation, to engage constructively in high-quality public discourses will facilitate the search for the best actions to take in times of crisis, increase the democratic legitimation of measures and strengthen societal resilience and cohesion. # Application Our project targets young people because they can be engaged in moral reasoning skills training more easily at this stage in their lives, and the young generation will be shaping public discourses in the coming decades. The insights from the study can impact how we shape and enact capacity building for moral reasoning, how democratic societies shape public discourses, and if public discourse can fulfil its potential to contribute to societal resilience. # Project leaders Nikola Biller-Andorno, Sonja Merten