Are you familiar with the word 'elenctic'? In a formal sense it means "serving to refute," and in a material sense it pertains to 'elenchus' or the Socratic technique of argument. Some of you may already know this, but I suspect that most of you have probably never seen the word before. I introduce this word here along with myself because it appropriately characterizes the manner in which I approach debate and philosophical discourse. I possess a strong commitment to critical thinking. I also live in North America, where hardly anyone practices critical thinking or knows what it is. Ergo, I spend a good deal of time refuting and/or correcting really bad arguments—i.e., elenctic discourse.
I am also an unmedicated Grammar Nazi. It's more about perspicuity than neurosis. (And I really do love the irony of that word, 'perspicuity'. Although it means "plain to the understanding, especially because of clarity and precision," the word itself is anything but plain or clear to the understanding. Delicious irony.) The reason I bring this up is because I have a tendency to clean up people's grammar when I quote them in my response. Please don't get offended; it's just my obsessive-compulsive nature.
Most people do not respond very well to insulting tones and belittling remarks. But me, I don't respond at all. If you get frustrated by the logical precision of my response or the fact that I have a philosophical vocabulary, dismissing me as a "blowhard" and "know-it-all" who uses "big words," don't be surprised when I completely ignore it and don't respond. This goes back to my strong commitment to critical thinking. I have read a lot of material on logic and critical thinking; none of them show much regard for name-calling and such. You can use such techniques, of course; that's entirely your choice. And this is mine.
I was an atheist until my mid-twenties, so I do know a thing or two about atheism. My dad was a militant atheist, such that he made Sam Harris seem like a kitten. But he was also deeply interested in Buddhism. My brother was also an atheist but, like me, less militant about it than dad was. And clinically addicted to World of Warcraft. My sister and stepmom were pagan, so-to-speak; their beliefs had some vague similarities to Wicca but were mostly a mixed bag of various New Age stuff (runes, candles, tarot cards and so forth). Their beliefs were highly individualized. And they were both lesbians. And I am framing all of this in past tense because it's been a long time since I lived at home. But there you have it, my home life. So even though the Genetic Fallacy is bad enough (look it up), now you have even more reason to leave it in your toolkit.
Oh, yeah, and I love debating. Love it.
I am also an unmedicated Grammar Nazi. It's more about perspicuity than neurosis. (And I really do love the irony of that word, 'perspicuity'. Although it means "plain to the understanding, especially because of clarity and precision," the word itself is anything but plain or clear to the understanding. Delicious irony.) The reason I bring this up is because I have a tendency to clean up people's grammar when I quote them in my response. Please don't get offended; it's just my obsessive-compulsive nature.
Most people do not respond very well to insulting tones and belittling remarks. But me, I don't respond at all. If you get frustrated by the logical precision of my response or the fact that I have a philosophical vocabulary, dismissing me as a "blowhard" and "know-it-all" who uses "big words," don't be surprised when I completely ignore it and don't respond. This goes back to my strong commitment to critical thinking. I have read a lot of material on logic and critical thinking; none of them show much regard for name-calling and such. You can use such techniques, of course; that's entirely your choice. And this is mine.
I was an atheist until my mid-twenties, so I do know a thing or two about atheism. My dad was a militant atheist, such that he made Sam Harris seem like a kitten. But he was also deeply interested in Buddhism. My brother was also an atheist but, like me, less militant about it than dad was. And clinically addicted to World of Warcraft. My sister and stepmom were pagan, so-to-speak; their beliefs had some vague similarities to Wicca but were mostly a mixed bag of various New Age stuff (runes, candles, tarot cards and so forth). Their beliefs were highly individualized. And they were both lesbians. And I am framing all of this in past tense because it's been a long time since I lived at home. But there you have it, my home life. So even though the Genetic Fallacy is bad enough (look it up), now you have even more reason to leave it in your toolkit.
Oh, yeah, and I love debating. Love it.
Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when
called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
(Oscar Wilde)
called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
(Oscar Wilde)
