Comments on: Opinions and argument

By: skepticlawyer » Bloggers and journalists

skepticlawyer » Bloggers and journalists — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:45:17 +0000

[...] I have written before, I do think bloggers have a duty to make sure that what they write is correct: I am a humble [...]

By: Jacques Chester

Jacques Chester — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:12:04 +0000

An Adams column suggesting that Bush might have done one or two things right would be like a bottle of ginger beer with a snail in it.

And like the famous snail-in-a-bottle case, part of the issue comes down to who wrote the column originally.

By: Adrien

Adrien — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:48:19 +0000

For example, “I didn’t knw you though that way Dad/Sister” what has led you to form this view”?
.
Yes well that’s something I think’d come in handy at a popular website the name of which I won’t mention.

By: skepticlawyer

skepticlawyer — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:29:08 +0000

Oh yes, pouring of the other party’s beer highly recommended.

By: Legal Eagle

Legal Eagle — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:52:13 +0000

In my younger days, I sometimes made people cry by pointing out the logical flaws or factual errors in their arguments. I couldn’t help myself. I try to avoid engaging people in argument in social situations these days unless (a) I know they can take it or (b) it’s a really offensive view.

Seems to me that the larger a family is, the larger the possibility for conflict. My family is tiny, so the only Xmas table argument I can recall is the one between my grandpa and I about feminism in 1995. That was more amusing than heated…

By: Legal Eagle

Legal Eagle — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:32:58 +0000

JG, that’s exactly it – you can be as polemic as you want, as long as it is known that you have considered the problems with your position and have researched it properly.

There are those on both the Left and the Right who make the “I reckon” argument without any straw to make their bricks. They all irritate me. Particularly if they are pious to boot.

Probably that’s what poor Catherine does to raise my ire – she has that tone which suggests “this is what all principled people believe”, but she hasn’t even thought it through properly. Red rag to a bull.

By: John Greenfield

John Greenfield — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:26:41 +0000

when called on it, ‘I’m entitled to an opinion’, I reply that yes he is indeed; what he is not entitled to is respect for that opinion, which must be earned, preferably with a few facts or some evidence of having done a bit of reading.

And whenever my sister says her gut is telling her something or other, I remind her what her gut is full of.

You would do well to explore alternative discourse stryles. For example, “I didn’t knw you though that way Dad/Sister” what has led you to form this view”?

By: John Greenfield

John Greenfield — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:18:39 +0000

Perfectly wonderful arguments can be made, even when relying on polemic, straw, selection and confirmation biases, SO LONG AS YOUR INTERLOCOTUR KNOWS YOU ARE AWARE OF THESE SHORTCOMINGS AND CAN INCOPORATE – EITHER EXPLICITYLY OR IMPLICITLY – WHY YOU SEE NO NEED TO BE MORE CIRCUSMPECT.

Christopher Hitchens certainly has this talent, Coulter may have a tiny bit, Dawkins not much more. But Catharine Deveney is just a dumb bogan bigot. Just how typical is she of the Victorian wymyn’s Left?

By: Adrien

Adrien — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:07:00 +0000

the next question is, are you prepared to be responsible for the results

Indeed as the glorious Emperor Rupert the 1st has decreed one should be responsible unless one is a NanoSerf for His Magnificence and then you can say anything you like.

All hail Rupert and his vassal Count Malcolm. You will vote for him whether you want to or not.

By: Adrien

Adrien — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:02:53 +0000

Rafe #3 – One of the hardest and most valuable lessons in life. Sadly few people take the course.