We live in a time of great discord. Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, and fans and critics of President Trump not only disagree, they often despise each other. In a small way, however, I am trying to change that.

I teach at Harvard University, where every few years I offer a seminar to a dozen freshmen. The course has the anodyne title “The Economist’s View of the World,” but its purpose is subversive. The goal is to help my students understand and even appreciate the perspectives of those with whom they vehemently disagree. The lesson is one we could all benefit from.

Most economics courses taken by first-year college students cover the textbook tools — supply and demand curves, the theory of comparative advantage, the analysis of profit maximization, and so on. We have that course at Harvard as well (and I run it), but my seminar is entirely different.

It is more like a book club. Every week, we read a book by an economist that is aimed at a general audience. The books represent a wide range of views. Together, the students and I wrestle with each author’s ideas. Which are dubious and which are persuasive? Which force us to rethink our preconceptions?