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- Path: sparky!uunet!news.larc.nasa.gov!news
- From: rowland@zorba7.larc.nasa.gov (Michael W. Rowland)
- Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
- Subject: Re: Debate in a Vacuum!
- Date: 4 Jan 1993 00:52:01 GMT
- Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 USA
- Lines: 51
- Distribution: world
- Message-ID: <1i81nhINNeo7@rave.larc.nasa.gov>
- References: <1993Jan3.230900.29067@news.columbia.edu>
- Reply-To: rowland@zorba7.larc.nasa.gov (Michael W. Rowland)
- NNTP-Posting-Host: zorba7.larc.nasa.gov
-
- In article <1993Jan3.230900.29067@news.columbia.edu>,
- rj24@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Robert Johnston) writes:
- >
- > The problem is that it is not possible for people to profitably
- > debate in this sort of forum. For debate to work, people must
- > have some similar joint axioms on which they will base their arguements.
- > You can't logically debate, when each participant has different assumptions
-
- This is a problem, I agree. What I am trying to say is if we
- can argue from a common basis, i.e. the books I mentioned, then
- maybe there would be more dicipline to keep to facts, minimize
- assumptions, and have constructive dialog with no name calling.
- I would really like to get responses from everyone about these
- subjects! I think there is nothing more important at this time
- in history than to reevaluate our educational systems.
- It would be really refreshing!
-
- > Fact is, I would probably agree with conservative views, if I held
- > conservative assumptions. Sanctity of human life, principle of
- > government non-intervention, belief in god, and many other topics are
- > examples of such assumptions. Any set of views that people take on such
- > subjects might be consisteant, and as such non-debatable.
-
- Yes, this is true, for the subjects you mention. What I am proposing
- is that we not talk about the symptoms, but address the real gulf
- between us, and that as a nation we are fragmented and have little
- common ground on which to argue. A good question to the newsgroup
- is "How do we fix it?"
-
- > The only way to win an arguement over matters of ideology is to
- > change the fundamental way in which your "adversary" views the
- > world, and thus to make him change his assumptions.
-
- > Logic is not applicable here, only emotion.
-
- That's a presumption that I do not hold. On occasion, I see a good
- deal of thoughtful commentary, but I have to sift throught a lot
- of redundant emotion to find it!
-
- The books I mentioned really are something to read, and I think
- they would spark a great debate/discussion.
-
- <<or>>
-
- maybe I should move to alt.education?
-
- Mike
-
- Mike Rowland (Contractor), MS 475
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton VA 23681
- internet: rowland@zorba7.larc.nasa.gov
-