I recently read an interesting article about why Plato thought debates can often be stupid and dangerous.
The article argues that debate is more like a sport, with winners and losers than a sincere pursuit of truth. Debaters often use tricks like false dilemmas, personal attacks, and misdirection to “win” rather than have a meaningful dialogue.
Plato criticized the Greek Sophists for misusing rhetoric. He felt they used rhetorical tricks to persuade audiences rather than using reasoned discourse to seek truth.
I found this critique thought-provoking in our current age of charged public debates and “gotcha” arguments. We could benefit from having more open, nuanced discussions aimed at understanding different views rather than just defeating opponents.
You can read the full article here:
bigthink.com/thinking/plato-debates-sophists/
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Tags: debate (23) | Plato (9) | rhetoric (11) | sophists (1)
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