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I hope you mean the OP. I wasn't intending to put any in my other writing, but if I have, let me know and I'll scold myself and issue an apology.
(But that's because the people who agree with me are better, cleaner, taller, and are more proficient whistlers. Don't hate us.)
I will also admit that I'm a sneaky, sly sort of fellow. The sort that you don't want to take home to mother.
You're right, that's a problem, but I think it's less of a problem than our current situation which seems to involve accepting the position which has the catchiest jingle. We have an additional guard which we, in our isolated society, fail to use. When I say something stupid here, someone will catch it and let me know my brain is switched off.
1) the normal mistakes of inference that we all tend to make if not careful.
Fine, I can agree with that as well, but I'm not trying to explain reality by advocating against Bulverism. All I want to do is avoid a tactic which is common, fallacious, and hurtful.
2) Traditional logic (Aristotle, Eucld, Liebniz, Boole) is no longer sufficient to explain reality.
If so, I am way out of luck. Any plans I might have had to be part of the dominate worldview (or even understand it) have flown away.
I believe this is right on the edge and essential to the next dominate worldview.
Reply to C.S. Lewis: (if he were alive)
I know I'm misunderstanding you, but, together we'll get somewhere.
RedCairo
Thank you. I am going to take that quote out of context and use it as the ideal response from now on. In fact, I think that single sentence might be the most perfect response to... everything. Next time I am losing a debate about absolutely anything, I am simply going to use that. Used in this way, it becomes literally a mass-applied generic Bulverism, no matter how fair it might have been in your original context. I think you have accidentally summarized this entire thread topic in a single sentence.
I do wish you would spend more time communicating with your mother. If you are still asking "Why?" it indicates you're not as close as you should be. Any 8 year-old will tell you that the eternally true answer to "Why?" is "Because I told you so."
Serdgiam
reply to post by FyreByrd
Your post just made me think of something, and that is "logic" tends to be used interchangeably with "science."
Logic is used in argument, where science is used in exploration. At least, that is the tendency I see even though "science" can be used to argue and "logic" can be used to explore.
Perhaps debate should not necessarily be the focus, but instead, teaching children how to learn first and what to learn second. Currently, we do it the other way around, and as I have said before, that is indoctrination that leads to stagnation, and is not education.
I think all of this leads directly to things like bulverism. We simply have a society that encourages it, and beyond that, is considered the "best" way to approach many situations.edit on 5-10-2013 by Serdgiam because: (no reason given)
While a system of formal deductionwas being developed in geometry, pilosophersbegan to try to apply similar rules to metaphysical argument. As the earliest figure associated with the logical argument, Plato was trouble by the arguments of the Sophists. The Sophists used deliberate confusion and verbal tricks in teh course of a debate to win an argument. If your were unsophistticated, you might be fooled by their arguments
charles1952
reply to post by FyreByrd
Dear FyreByrd,
You are absolutely correct in your descriptions of some problems with logic. I would not have thought of them. Honestly and sincerely, I admire you work.
But, so what? (Don't shoot me, give me a chance, please.)
If that is a criticism of his debate techniques, then I am delighted to have you on board. By criticizing what you see as Lewis' Bulverism, you criticize all Bulverism. Go forth, oh mighty knight, and slay the dragon of Bulverism wherever you find it.
CS Lewis was quite the Bulverist himself.
But the victim of a mugging may be dead before he can cry foul.
My experience has shown me that the first to cry foul is often the first to have committed a foul.
It is much easier to win a debate when the facts are on your side.
When the judges are on your side, it is possible to win the debate, even though the facts are against you, but that is winning the battle in a war that you will ultimately loose.
I know you heard it before, and I apologize for being repetitive, but shoot a message out to the Mods using the alert button. Offer a one or two sentence explanation of why you find it offensive, and sit back, you've done what you can.
These direct attacks posts should be removed really, not only against Christianity, but to be fair against other beliefs as well.