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Friday, March 11, 2022

An Invitation to Debate Debating, Inspired by Commenter dL

Resolved, that for any offered proposition, the claim that "there is nothing to debate here" is both untrue and tends to redound to the disadvantage of the correct position on that proposition.

My opening argument, in favor of the proposition:

No matter how wrong or even evil a proposition or proposal is, declaring that proposition "non-debatable" cedes the field of persuasion entirely to that proposition's opponents.

No matter how wrong or even evil a proposition or proposal is -- "let's kill all the Jews," for example, or "hey, we've got these nukes lying around, maybe we should use them" --  some people will accept that proposition or proposal on its face without argument, especially if there is no argument offered against it.

"No! That's non-debatable!" is not an argument.

While it's true that some of the people who will accept a wrong or even evil proposition on its face without argument -- perhaps because it caters to their existing prejudices or is offered to them by someone they unwisely trust -- cannot be persuaded, it's plausible to assume that others will accept the proposition or proposal on its face without argument because they are ignorant of its implications. They've just never thought about it. If they thought about it, they might come down on the correct side.

"No! That's non-debatable!" is an invitation to those others to continue not thinking about it. It's a refusal to give them anything to think about it, other than what the other side is offering.

Even the most wrong and evil proposition or proposal should be met with reasons why it must not be accepted, rather than declarations that it's not subject to discussion.

Debate in comments if you wish. And if you consider it debatable.

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