Re:The world is not an engineering problem
by TeMPOraL on Thursday November 08, 2018 @04:49PM
(#18410365)
> Put another way, you can only have a logical argument with someone who already agrees with your beliefs.
Technically true, but that's an easy (and all too frequently used) way to dismiss other people's arguments and keep believing whatever you want.
It's very unlikely that any real-world policy question is a question about your fundamental value. You most likely don't value marijuana intrinsically. The future of a river dam is probably not the real center of your morality. Rational reasoning is useful to illuminate connection between the subject of an argument and your moral values. A connection that usually is pretty complex, and allows for honest and patient enough people to reach the same conclusion given the same knowledge about the problem.
Technically true, but that's an easy (and all too frequently used) way to dismiss other people's arguments and keep believing whatever you want.
It's very unlikely that any real-world policy question is a question about your fundamental value. You most likely don't value marijuana intrinsically. The future of a river dam is probably not the real center of your morality. Rational reasoning is useful to illuminate connection between the subject of an argument and your moral values. A connection that usually is pretty complex, and allows for honest and patient enough people to reach the same conclusion given the same knowledge about the problem.