Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Arguments Demand

Quoted without any real context, but still fun. More fun if said while on the ridge of a mountain in a thunderstorm, with swords made of lightening in each hand. Rather than sitting at a 'puter with a blankey over ones lap to keep away the chill...
But if I’m wrong, you haven’t yet provided a single argument as to _why_

Yes, but this seems the core of your certainty, the last nub. That you have to be disproved or otherwise you have asserted something of substance?

Do I have to disprove the jehovah's witnesses at the door, otherwise if I can’t I must accept some substance to their assertions?

Feel free to say yes. I can think of no arguments against saying so. In your case or in theirs.

Edit: I was a bit naughty not to provide context. After thinking about it, what the person was saying came in two parts - an idea, and then the phrase 'we have reason to do this' and 'we should do this'.

I was really aiming at the 'we', 'have reason' and especially 'should' part. Sadly I kind of aimed at the whole/both things at once, which added obsfucation to things.

I'm hoping there will be a third edit, where what is meant by 'we should' is described. I guess I should (ha, there's that word again!) list the whole conversation. But I'm not sure what I'm aiming for with this blog yet. Currently I'm just indulging the one model (my own). Whether it's applicable is interesting, but I'd like to actually finish a draft of that model first.

Anyway, I further asked:
Does the link cover what you mean by ‘We should’? I’ve looked through, but might have missed it?

It’s just that ‘We should’ are two of the most explosive words in the world, and you’ve put them together. I imagine most wars start with a ‘We should’.

Maybe I make a great fuss of what is just a term of phrase. It could be just a silly fear and missplaced awe I have for those words. But dread I do find in those few inky marks (well, pixelley marks).

Second edit: No luck - on 'We should'
It is simply a fact that “we should…” is not an argument.

So, my responce
If you had said ‘Those three people over there should…’, you’d probably find those three people would prickle at you telling them what do do
Why is that, if it’s not an argument your pitching to them?

I'm actually really surprised at someone saying 'We should...' is not in itself an argument? Somehow if you say 'we' - which is to refer to every single human on the planet (!!!), it becomes less argumentative than if you only refer to two or three people and what they should do? Wow?

1 comment:

  1. argument, n.

    Pronunciation: /ˈɑːgjuːmənt/

    A connected series of statements or reasons intended to establish a position (and, hence, to refute the opposite); a process of reasoning; argumentation.

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