Friday, 29 January 2010

When Arguing Without Respect

More on the ad hominem arguer

Most of Talmud is arguing one's point of view and for the most part is a respectful debate


Yet there are those that want to argue disrespectfully so and so they attack the person with ad hominems instead of attacking the argument

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Let's play tennis. Two opponents compete with rackets, a ball, a net, and a court. The better hitter wins by simply outplaying his opponent within the rules. This is the usual Talmudic discourse

Now take an "ad hominem" arguer, a person who undermines his opponent and not his opponent's points of view.

It's like a tennis player who brings a shotgun instead of a racket and blows his opponent away instead of merely hitting the ball better!

This character assassin is the verbal equivalent of a tennis player who uses a shotgun instead of a racket. His interest in winning is not via debating points, but by "destroying" his opponent

When will we stop putting up with this?

KT
RRW

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