Rhetoric and Reason

It’s been said “it is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing which he was never reasoned into.” Thus the power of rhetoric and emotional persuasion.

I wonder if there’s an overlap between being “principled,” and being open to logical arguments against a position one holds. Relatedly, I wonder if those who base their positions on emotion could be fairly described as “unprincipled.” Finally, I wonder how these different approaches to grasping truth relate to the political stances often called “conservative,” “progressive” and “libertarian.”

 

Overheard in Karate Class

“You can always find someone better than you, or with more experience, but you should never find someone who works harder than you.“

 

Illusory Meaning

“There’s nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view that I hold dear.”
– Daniel Dennett, a gentleman who believes regarding something as “dear” is a result of chemical reactions.