Monday, January 11, 2010

Argument and Agreement

What possessed the academy to stop teaching rhetoric and reasoning? What possesses those who assert leadership, over air waves and mosques and businesses and thrones, to vilify and silence and label their "enemies"?

Reasoning is dyadic argumentation tested by doubt, which is surpassingly mutual. Even a speaker will suddenly realize an absurdity only after it is expressed.

But how can we make reasoning more effective? Surely this is worth the effort, although I disagree with the school that would pretend that teaching Argumentation would lead to (1) Finding Truth, and (2) Resolving Conflict. While Argumentation is a social, even a cooperative enterprise, the aforesaid (1) and (2) remain demonstrably illusive.

Still, it is dialogue which makes culture possible. And the loss of civility which always arises when Argumentation is voiced from the extreme wings, will cripple culture and inflame idiocy. Political Freedom is layered and is never the result of extremity. Hate-mongering should be discouraged.

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