I have an argument with that . . . . .

Making an Argument for the vanishing art of discussion,

By: the Rusted Gun (aka Russell)  –

           The inspiration for this post, is an essay by Peter Landry via Bluepete.com

"Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking; where it is absent, discussion is apt to become worse than useless." (Leo Tolstoy.)

“I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding.” (Samuel Johnson)

“I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellect too.”                
(Oliver Goldsmith)

“He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument.” (William Shakespeare)

“The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat.”
(James Russell Lowell)

I begin with a few assertions, which are open to argument, and that is the very basis for this essay.

Ideas must stand to be judged. It is organic to our nature that we do so.  A critical aspect of that judgment has traditionally been derived from the discussion, or more correctly the argument either for or against an idea.

From the very simplest aspects of daily life to society’s most complex problems, we are compelled by the best virtues in our character, to seek out and find the truth, our truth, to hold it aloft and advance it to all we meet. 

Since inception, America as a society, body politic and a legal system has debated whether an individual’s rights or liberties outweigh the good of the many.  Often arriving at a different answer each time the argument is pursued.  An individual has the right to free speech, but one cannot shout fire in a crowded theater, etc.  The argument continues.

Argument is a life sustaining process, wherein if we are to advance, [our minds, our institutions and our society] we are obliged to listen to arguments, and, as often as necessary, to make them.   

In the event that ideas merit our support, we are then obliged to expose them to peril and discover their worth in the arena of discourse; or more correctly stated; to argue the point. 

We must never fear exposing our ideas to argument.  For in the rough and tumble of argument and debate, ideas are stressed, tested and pounded into the hardness of truth, or they are broken, found a sham and unworthy of our interest.

What is argument?  Merriam Webster cites three meanings which are relevant to our discussion:

 - a reason given in proof or rebuttal.

 - a discourse intended to persuade.

 - a coherent series of statements leading from a premise to a conclusion.

"Anything is an argument which naturally and legitimately produces an effect upon our minds, and tends to make us think one way rather than another." (James Bowling Mozley)

Political discourse and debate, a poor cousin to argument, (and here I am referring in particular, to the loud and poorly contrived argument), which has become a wearisome part of the political process, and is universally disdained, is excluded from this endorsement.  One need only watch politicians “debate” (sic) for a short time to realize that ideas are not involved.

With this despised example serving to illustrate my point, I submit our problem isn’t that we argue, rather that we argue poorly and too infrequently. 

The Ancient Greeks prized and cultivated moral excellence as a virtue, and not incongruously, developed argument into an art form.  It was a venerated element of their society.

To succeed in, and create a happy life, we must practice life sustaining activities,  and listening to a good argument as well as making a good argument are two examples of these activities. Being in a constant state of argumentation, even with oneself, is both entirely normal and necessary to the living process.

Historically, before society became beneficiary of connectivity and a twenty four hour news cycle, we were informed by Journalists via print and broadcast news.  After the information was ingested, arguments took place at lunch counters, in Diners, at job sites, in feed stores and on commuter trains.

Now we have our arguments by proxy, permitting the media, blogs, etc. to argue for us.   We tolerate the use of incomplete data, brief sound-bites and opinion poorly disguised as information.  It is not hyperbole to assert the commercials on news programs contain more truth and information than the actual news programming.

It would profit us greatly as a society, and individually, if we were to put down our smart phones, extinguish the television, power down the laptop and resume arguing with one another.

George Bernard Shaw complained that our nature leads us to believe all the arguments for an idea whose cause we have taken up and yet choose to remain blind to arguments against it. 

Listening with an open mind is akin to achieving a healthy body, in that it requires exercise to stretch a muscle beyond its current dimensions.

It is only through exercise, practice and thought that we can sharpen our minds, and argument is the natural environment for that exercise. 

Anthony A. Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury wrote; “according to the Notion I have of Reason, neither the written Treatises of the Learned, nor the set Discourses of the Eloquent, are able of themselves to teach the use of it. ’Tis the Habit alone of Reasoning, which can make a Reasoner. And Men can never be better invited to the Habit, than when they find Pleasure in it.”

We Americans fancy ourselves to be industrious, but I believe closer examination reveals that we have become complacent and indolent.  We make an error in judgment by granting unwarranted eminence to all of the inconsequential parties vying for our attention.  CNN, the Tea Party, The Occupy Movement, Social Media, PETA, Bill Maher, Fox News and so on, ad nauseum.

At some point we must stop ingesting “information” and provoke our minds by questioning the veracity and intention of what we have been told.  This is where the argument begins.

Have we become too busy to argue?  Are we so connected we are disinterested in reason?

Argument is merely a mode of talking, and does not require us to be hostile or belligerent.  In point of fact argument, as defined here, is more closely allied with intellect than to emotion. 

I encourage you to argue, soon and often, with people you care deeply about.

Finally, let us accomplish our arguments in the proper spirit.  It bestows no credit to purposefully author a specious discourse, unsupported by science, fact or otherwise wanting in truth, nor is it worthwhile engaging an opponent burdened with this same handicap.  It invokes the ancient adage about wrestling with a pig, an activity that only makes you dirty while pleasuring the pig.

"The hydrostatic paradox of controversy, is that controversy equalizes fools and wise men in the same way, and the fools know it." (Oliver Wendell Holmes.)