It's not something people hear about.
I don't know about you all, but I believe the things that I believe because I have found a concrete logical basis to support them. In order to argue against it, I would have to deliberately ignore or dance around that logical basis, which would basically reduce all my arguments to nothing but willful ignorance.
Ironically, this is exactly what most of the people who disagree with me do. Maradon! fucked around with this message on 05-06-2006 at 06:31 PM.
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Verily, Maradon! doth proclaim:
The trouble is that this is pretty much impossible for anybody to do honestly.I don't know about you all, but I believe the things that I believe because I have found a concrete logical basis to support them. In order to argue against it, I would have to deliberately ignore or dance around that logical basis, which would basically reduce all my arguments to nothing but willful ignorance.
Ironically, this is exactly what most of the people who disagree with me do.
No, it's quite doable, even in earnest.
I recently found myself arguing against a particular application of genetic engineering, with which I personally wholeheartedly supported, yet still argued effectively against it. Keep it academic and it's very possible, even with issues you hold very dear.
Have a go.
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Channeling the spirit of Sherlock Holmes, Maradon! absently fondled Watson and proclaimed:
Say, for example, I wanted to argue in favor of communism. I'd have no choice but to do so using points that I know are specious or have no logical backing, because EVERY argument in favor of communism is specious or has no logical backing.
Not so.
I will go so far as to say that anyone who claims to be the bearer of Truth on any subject outside math or physics has got a screw or three loose. By claiming that there are no logical arguments to the contrary, that any reasonable person must share your conclusions, you've slipped out of the realm of logic and into the dangerous area of dogma and belief.
Extreme socialists value security and outcomes above all else, whereas extreme capitalists value risk and opportunity above all else. It's not that one side or the other is stupid, or even wrong; they are competing value sets.
In short, never confuse your values with universal truths.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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Bloodsage probably says this to all the girls:
I will go so far as to say that anyone who claims to be the bearer of Truth on any subject outside math or physics has got a screw or three loose.
And even for Physics it's not always true. 
So I'll stand by what I'm saying, since it's fundamental to science as we know it.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
