What is Persuasion?
Persuasion is a publication and community for everyone who shares three basic convictions:
We seek to build a free society in which all individuals get to pursue a meaningful life irrespective of who they are.
We believe in the importance of the social practice of persuasion, and are determined to defend free speech and free inquiry against all its enemies.
We seek to persuade, rather than to mock or troll, those who disagree with us.
In the past years, the political and intellectual energy has been with illiberal movements. Too often, the advocates of free speech and free institutions have been passive, even fatalistic. It is high time for those of us who believe in these enduring ideals to stand up for our convictions.
What will Persuasion Do?
Persuasion is a platform for publishing interesting ideas. It is a convener of pressing debates. Most importantly, it is the nucleus for a community that seeks to shake the defenders of the free society out of their complacency.
Persuasion features:
An online magazine, Persuasion, on the threats to the free society—and reflections on how to fight back—with contributions from authors you already love and others you are yet to discover.
A home for the American Purpose media project, chaired by Francis Fukuyama, with American Purpose content being made available to Persuasion subscribers.
A regular column from Francis Fukuyama, “Frankly Fukuyama.”
Access to a weekly column by our editor-in-chief, Yascha Mounk, at his Substack.
A weekly podcast, The Good Fight with Yascha Mounk, in which leading thinkers discuss the most urgent questions of the day without chasing yesterday’s headlines.
Live events in which speakers who share a commitment to the values of a free society passionately debate what policies and practices can best realize them.
Book clubs in which well-known authors lead discussions of their favorite works.
A weekly Happy Hour at which community members can speak openly, debate freely, and draw inspiration from one another.
Additional online and in-person events, like the annual Persuasion Festival and our biweekly conversation club.
Why subscribe?
By subscribing to Persuasion, you will never have to worry about missing a thing: every new article will go directly to your inbox.
If you join us as a paid subscribing member, you also get access to:
Paywalled articles, including access to Yascha Mounk’s Substack column and the American Purpose archives and new offerings.
Bonus podcast content and special editions.
Who’s involved?
We have assembled some of the most insightful, principled, and stylish thinkers from across the ideological spectrum and from around the world: Our community includes Thomas Chatterton-Williams and Garry Kasparov, David French and Emily Yoffe, Elif Shafak and Francis Fukuyama, among others, in addition to our founder, Yascha Mounk.
Here’s a full list of our Board of Advisors and the editorial team.
Pitch Us!
Please decide in advance whether your idea is more suitable for publication to the Persuasion mailing list or the American Purpose mailing list. The best way to do this is to read a selection of articles from both!
Pitching Persuasion
We’re always on the lookout for new perspectives and interesting pieces, whether from established authors or first-time writers. If you have an idea for (or a draft of) a thought-provoking article that contributes to our goal of promoting a philosophically liberal approach to the big debates of the moment, do send us your idea at:
pitches@persuasion.community
The best way to see whether your idea would fit well in Persuasion’s pages is to read other pieces we’ve published. We pay authors a fee for articles we publish.
Remember:
Good ideas should add to the conversation, and be original and clearly written for a general audience.
Many of our articles fall in the 900 to 1600 word range. But if the topic demands it, we will consider longer articles.
Include a short bio of yourself, citing pertinent qualifications and/or why you’re the person to write such a piece. (A sentence or two is sufficient. Feel free to include links to other published material.)
Pitching American Purpose
American Purpose offers a spirited examination of politics and culture. Our aim is to support the revitalization of liberal democracy at home, while addressing the authoritarian challenges to liberal democracy abroad. And we will offer lively and engrossing discussion of history and biography, arts and culture, science and technology.
The guidelines are the same as above, except American Purpose pitches/submissions should be sent to Francis Fukuyama at f.fukuyama@stanford.edu
Our model
Persuasion is a project of Persuasion Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States.
As a nonpartisan nonprofit, Persuasion does not take an editorial position on political campaigns or candidates and aims to represent a variety of views in its pages. The positions, policies, or strategies articulated in the magazine and podcast are those of the authors and speakers alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Persuasion, nor is their publication an endorsement by Persuasion. While we make every effort to ensure that the information presented by authors and speakers is accurate and to promptly correct any oversights, Persuasion will not be liable for any omissions or errors in the information presented.
