P
PseuTonym
Guest
Do you detect a hint of irony in the title of this thread? How about fanaticism? Something else?
If somebody were to tell you that what you have said is not merely true, but that what you have said is “very true”, then a revision to your statement might be said to result in something that is “very, very true” and soon we arrive at a situation of irony or absurdity.
An argument can be powerful in its effect upon people. There are degrees of power. However, provided that things are expressed clearly enough, there cannot be degrees of soundness. If the premises of an argument are true, and every step in the reasoning is a valid step, then the conclusion is simply true.
When the word “powerful” is used to describe an argument, the situation might involve:
1 irony, or
2 fanaticism, or
3 groveling or subservience of somebody who feels compelled to pay lip service, or
4 awareness that an unsound argument can be powerful in persuading people of something that is not true, so that the argument’s power is potentially dangerous (In effect, it is like the power of a powerful poison, in contrast with the power of a powerful medicine.)
With that in mind, some people might wish to read or re-read the first message in the following thread:
Three powerful arguments in support of the “random coincidence” hypothesis
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=914577
If somebody were to tell you that what you have said is not merely true, but that what you have said is “very true”, then a revision to your statement might be said to result in something that is “very, very true” and soon we arrive at a situation of irony or absurdity.
An argument can be powerful in its effect upon people. There are degrees of power. However, provided that things are expressed clearly enough, there cannot be degrees of soundness. If the premises of an argument are true, and every step in the reasoning is a valid step, then the conclusion is simply true.
When the word “powerful” is used to describe an argument, the situation might involve:
1 irony, or
2 fanaticism, or
3 groveling or subservience of somebody who feels compelled to pay lip service, or
4 awareness that an unsound argument can be powerful in persuading people of something that is not true, so that the argument’s power is potentially dangerous (In effect, it is like the power of a powerful poison, in contrast with the power of a powerful medicine.)
With that in mind, some people might wish to read or re-read the first message in the following thread:
Three powerful arguments in support of the “random coincidence” hypothesis
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=914577