Questions tagged [argumentation]
The construction, deconstruction and presentation of arguments for a position;
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Should reducing and simplifying explanations be a core aspect of Philosophical practice?
I'm an Engineer, and a Computer Programmer. But I repeat myself... For me, my life and breath is getting to the bottom of complex things and rendering an explanation or instantiation (for programs) ...
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A question on contrapositives and predicates
So I am a freshman taking an intro class to logic. And the question started off from a class exercise we've got which asked us to identify the covering generalization for the following conditional ...
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Do arguments arising from probability convincingly argue a mass human extinction event in the near future? [closed]
One such argument is the Doomsday argument which is taken seriously by a number of academics. But more simply, if we look at the modern population trajectory, it's something of an exponential curve. ...
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Is there a name for the argumentative tactic where you play dumb and ask for extreme simplification?
My day job is research in economics. In economics seminar culture, a common way to demolish the speaker is to play dumb and say "I don't understand what you are saying", implying that the ...
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How strong is the argument for quantum mind theory?
I know little about philosophy and I've been reading into consciousness. From an uneducated view, David Pearce's argument seems strong.
https://www.biointelligence-explosion.com/parable.html
What ...
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What is a philosophical proposition?
There seems to be confusion on this exchange as to what constitutes a proposition in philosophy. This seems to extend to the burden of proof. The classical burden of proof is "onus probandi ...
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What kind of rhetorical device is 'splaining?
It is quite common for people to respond to an issue or question with the first thing that comes to mind, framed as a convincing explanation. When it appears to be a self-serving or unwarranted ...
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Are transcendental and indispensability arguments reciprocally structured?
This question occurred to me in the course of addressing a recent question about what counts as evidence in philosophy. There, I offered that transcendental arguments are structurally akin to ...
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What constitutes evidence in philosophy?
I have noticed an apparent confusion when posing and answering questions as to what constitutes evidence in philosophy. Especially in scientifically-related areas, I often cite scientific evidence ...
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Do some philosophical questions tend to entertain vacuous ideas?
Empty, inane, devoid of value. This is a dictionary definition of the word "vacuous". Are vacuous ideas worthy of consideration? I mean no offence, but I fail to see the sensible intent ...
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Is reason under challenge? [closed]
I find the resurgence in the new century of pseudoscience, religious extremism, and irrationalism disturbing. Reason was pre-eminent throughout the previous two centuries. Is reason being seriously ...
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What is the burden of proof? Has this principle ever been challenged?
I have been surprised to find that some people doubt this principle. Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat - the burden of proof lies with the speaker, not with the one who negates. I ...
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Should proofs of God involve the infinitary language ℒ(∞,∞)?
If God is an infinite being (per Scotus, say), and if no finite number of steps in an argument is adequate to the scope of the divine majesty, then the strictures of monadic theism aside (God as a ...
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The Likelyhood Principle and Baysean Statistics
I am reading Kotzen's paper Selection Bias in Likelihood Arguments.
The author takes the following principle as a starting point:
I'm confused as to how to formalize this notion in terms of Bayesian ...
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How to best develop writing and argumentation skills on a philosophy self-study track?
I am about to embark on a journey of Philosophy self-study. I have a curriculum I want to pursue, covering all majour branches of philosophy. I also have a reading list which includes set texts, text ...
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