argument

Tag

Argument Isn’t Everything: On Creativity in Philosophy

“I don’t believe that arguing is usually the way we come up with good ideas. Argument might be an effective way of deciding which ideas to believe in. But adjudication is not creation. Safety inspections are important for deciding whether a building is sound. But safety inspections on their own don’t erect the building to be inspected.”

(more…)

Opposing Orthodoxy about Heterodoxy

“Whenever I see people engaged in philosophical debate or argument, I want to see people trying to win. I like my philosophy adversarial, aggressive, combative, and even hostile. I think there are some good reasons for this approach… but I also think it’s more fun that way. (more…)

Arguments, Conclusions, and the Policies of Religious Academic Journals

“We do not publish any work advancing views that are clearly contrary to the established teachings of the Catholic
Church.” (more…)

A Taxonomy of “Philosophy Moves” (updated)

There is joy, and sometimes perverse satisfaction, in the work of philosophy—a rush that can be difficult to relate to those not already bitten by the bug. Philosophers find reward in deducing surprises by revealing unforeseen entailments, deriving implications of views one already holds, and delighting in the buzzy squirms that come with the resulting cognitive d..

Philosophy as Art

“I view the philosophical essay as an art form whose medium is ideas.” (more…)

Some Remarks on Form in Philosophy (guest post)

“When my younger self complained angrily in the margins with scrawls of ‘where is this going?’, he missed the sights and insights that the journey itself provided.” (more…)

How Philosophers Respond to Objections

Michael Cholbi, professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, has put together a useful handout for students and others interested in philosophy about the different ways philosophers respond to objections. (more…)

An Empirical Approach to the Analytic-Continental Divide

What’s the difference between analytic philosophy and Continental philosophy? In a new paper, a pair of researchers use a computer analysis of the content of different journals to test one way the distinction is sometimes characterized. (more…)

An Argument to Move College Students to Follow COVID-19 Guidelines

Though the COVID-19 pandemic is strengthening in parts of the United States, many universities here are planning to reopen their doors in the fall to educate, house, feed, and entertain students. (more…)

Do Philosophers Care Too Much About Fallacies?

I used to teach a course in critical thinking at Ghent University. As behooves a good skeptic, I first presented my students with the usual laundry list of fallacies, after which I invited them to put the theory into practice. Take a popular piece from the newspaper or watch a political debate, and try to spot the fallacies.

I no longer give that assignment. (m..

A Bias Against Simplicity?

Kieran Healy (Duke) recently presented a paper entitled “Fuck Nuance” at the American Sociological Association’s annual meeting. He writes:

Nuance is not a virtue of good sociological theory. Sociologists typically use it as a term of praise, and almost without exception when nuance is mentioned it is because someone is asking for more of it. I shall argue that, ..