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Questions tagged [argumentation]

The construction, deconstruction and presentation of arguments for a position;

Questions with this tag involves "how an argument for a position is structured" in place of, or in addition to, aspects of "what the position is".

This should also cover "how to construct effective arguments" types of question.

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Does hypocrisy invalidate an argument?

I was listening to a political podcast and David Poltz (one of the presenters) said of an argument that he was unconcerned whether the argument was hypocritical. I found that attitude jarring, counter-intuitive but very interesting. The contention…
Crab Bucket
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What is it called when you disagree with a position on the basis that it doesn't fix everything?

Suppose someone tells you that they are a vegetarian and ride a bike to work because they want to reduce their negative impact on the environment. In response you tell them that this is futile (or that they are a hypocrite), because bikes and the…
quant
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What is wrong with blaming your actions on your parents (since if had you not been born, you would not have done X)?

What is wrong with the argument: Had I not been born, I would not have done X, thus it is my mother's/father's fault If you excuse the fact that I don't know how to phrase this better or in a more appropriate format, but I'm pretty sure that the…
user1337
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What do you call this argument? - "If you’re going to boycott Israel, please remove the Intel chip that allows you to speak"

So I was reading about Stephen Hawking and his boycott of an academic function in Israel when I read a comment that went like this: "If you’re going to boycott Israel, please remove the Intel chip that allows you to speak". I was just wondering if…
Saidy
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One Man's Modus Ponens is Another Man's Modus Tollens: Who Coined it and Where?

I've heard it was attributed to Fred Dretske, but I don't know the context. Anyone know who came up with this? P.S. I'm aware of GE Moore using this kind of reasoning in his "Two Hands" argument. But I'm not sure who coined the actual phrase.
Cartesian Theater
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Argument Validity

The haze in Singapore causes problems for the capitalist economic system. The forest fires in Indonesia cause the haze in Singapore. The forest fires in Indonesia are caused by the greed inherent in the capitalist economic system. So the capitalist…
Name Withheld
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How to address hard to verify claims?

Is it ok to dismiss claims like "If you research it, you will see that X is true" or "If you read this you will see that X is true" or "If you wanted to learn you would read this material and agree with X" based on the fact that I may not have…
Rodrigo5244
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How do you argue without evidence?

Let's say you come to some sort of debate and you forgot to do your fact checking. What sorts methods could you use to argue a major point, e.g. gun control, without specific facts? I'm thinking something along the lines of rhetoric, but I don't…
Tdonut
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Is this a ridiculous argument: "If the land contains Chinese-made products many thousand years ago then that land belongs to China's territory"?

Ok, let see this argument: If A then B, A therefore B Look at the picture below, do you see the red line? & do you see many small islands inside the red line? For thousands years these islands are the place that many fishermen in SouthEast Asian…
Tim
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What are some arguments against insulting being illegal

Yesterday I had a conversation with my friend, and the topic about insulting being illegal (=> fined or even up to 1 year prison) came up (Germany). He was arguing that it is good to punish those who insult, as it is more satisfying to have that…
Battle
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How do I create a good argument that no one deserves the penalty of death whatever their legal or moral offenses?

A few years ago there was a case of a teacher who allegedly harassed girls in his school and it was claimed he had indecent material of children on his computer. The man was found innocent post mortem after he committed suicide because he felt…
Takiro
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Is there a logical fallacy for forming an argument where, because one does not do enough, their efforts are in vain?

For instance, if Person A says: The homeless are trash and should be treated as such To which Person B responds We should start to address the homeless problem by not dehumanizing them What is the logical fallacy for Person A's response of…
Eric Norcross
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How to make a better choice?

When it comes to making a choice (especially big decisions) people usually go back and forth. Sometimes even remaining in a state of indecision for a long time. So my questions: How to make a better choice? How to know your choice is the right…
user18861
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Is this a category mistake?

En vogue HR policy is to use skin color, ethnicity, sexuality and gender (hereon “social identity”) to inform hiring decisions. This is called hiring for “diversity”. The argument made is two-fold: that this is redistributive social justice, that…
52d6c6af
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Is there any point arguing talking with someone whose rhetorical goal is to show that you are ignoring them?

Is there any point arguing talking with someone whose rhetorical goal is to show that you are ignoring what they say? It may be my imagination, but it seems to be an issue, in argumentation. Elaboration Sometimes, when I argue, it is not to prove a…
user28117
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