Wow. This generated a lot of comments really quickly. Well, it’s an intriguing post and I like the kind of self-description of your attitude towards arguments. Anyone who has spent a lot of time arguing understands that the mechanisms of discursive exchange are crucial for achieving a valuable discussion. Sadly, it’s very hard to deal with people who don’t understand this. I’ve had friends who just hated to disagree about anything.
Interestingly, the sort of thing that irritates you, such as making concessions, are very useful for getting somebody to argue or discuss something with you when they are reluctant to engage. So I think there is a place for a bit of honorable evasiveness in the argumentative domain, if only because it can make your opponent more pliable and open to disagreement.
On the other hand, I strongly agree with you that opinions and platforms should be held out forcefully and concretely. Your post is really poignant on that subject and excellent. At times, it may feel like you are being a little overconfident, but beliefs should always be stated forcefully and directly because first things first, you’re trying to convey an assessment. You never get anywhere without a theory, even if that theory must eventually be broken.
Wow. This generated a lot of comments really quickly. Well, it’s an intriguing post and I like the kind of self-description of your attitude towards arguments. Anyone who has spent a lot of time arguing understands that the mechanisms of discursive exchange are crucial for achieving a valuable discussion. Sadly, it’s very hard to deal with people who don’t understand this. I’ve had friends who just hated to disagree about anything.
Interestingly, the sort of thing that irritates you, such as making concessions, are very useful for getting somebody to argue or discuss something with you when they are reluctant to engage. So I think there is a place for a bit of honorable evasiveness in the argumentative domain, if only because it can make your opponent more pliable and open to disagreement.
On the other hand, I strongly agree with you that opinions and platforms should be held out forcefully and concretely. Your post is really poignant on that subject and excellent. At times, it may feel like you are being a little overconfident, but beliefs should always be stated forcefully and directly because first things first, you’re trying to convey an assessment. You never get anywhere without a theory, even if that theory must eventually be broken.