Argument

"The Argument from Intimidation is a confession of intellectual impotence. "
Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness, 1964
US (Russian-born) novelist (1905 - 1982)

A day of coaching and consulting. Many interesting developments and possibilities. No arguments though. It has always intrigued me as to how intellectually lazy people become, how unwilling or perhaps unable they are to engage in prolonged discussion where views differ. It seems much easier for them to threaten or dismiss or shout rather than really go into the issue. Even when you are right in an argument, you can still learn something from the other person's viewpoint. Surely, it must be worth it, if the person has any value whatsoever to you, to explore ideas together. Good argument sharpens the intellect and expands awareness, and both parties benefit.

OK, Mr West, let's test this out. How about parents with their kids? You tell your kid to do something, and they argue that they don't want to do it. Which road do you take? The road of authority/intimidation or the road of reason? Hmm, tricky. Maybe it depends on the kid and the situation. My son does not respond very well to authority/intimidation unless it is backed up by reason. So I have found that reason is far more effective with him (and forces me to think); though when he is in the wrong and knows it, authority/intimidation is works very well too.

I guess, the test of a concept is extrapolation. If everyone did it, what would the world be like? Would everyone be arguing indefinitely, or would we avoid most of the mindless violence and lazy hatred that plagues our world? I suspect that if reason were to feature highly on people's agendas and arguments were conducted with integrity and a quest for understanding, then we could be looking at a utopia of sorts. That's my argument for reason ....