Oh we've been training both of ours for years to listen to anything a politician, salesman or TV advert is telling them and then to pick it apart in detail.
In high school, I was heavily recruited for debate team.
I rejected the faculty that encouraged me to join - I thought the exercise was sophist poison.
My criticism was that arguments were simply totaled up, however lame - ten bad arguments beat one good one.
Also, if something was published in the (cough) "paper of record" (turn head... cough) it could be treated as "fact". We know how that turns out...
My rants against debate club remain one of the few expressions of my overbearing and naive adolescent moral vanity which I do not regret.
(I joined the math club instead. Yes, we had math meets with other schools. Tell your children: do not go to a math meet stoned; it's always a mistake because the dope wears off by the time you get there...]
Oh we've been training both of ours for years to listen to anything a politician, salesman or TV advert is telling them and then to pick it apart in detail.
ReplyDeleteGood, KW. Unfortunately, far too many parents still believe the lies themselves, and do nothing to innoculate their children against them.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, I was heavily recruited for debate team.
ReplyDeleteI rejected the faculty that encouraged me to join - I thought the exercise was sophist poison.
My criticism was that arguments were simply totaled up, however lame - ten bad arguments beat one good one.
Also, if something was published in the (cough) "paper of record" (turn head... cough) it could be treated as "fact". We know how that turns out...
My rants against debate club remain one of the few expressions of my overbearing and naive adolescent moral vanity which I do not regret.
(I joined the math club instead. Yes, we had math meets with other schools. Tell your children: do not go to a math meet stoned; it's always a mistake because the dope wears off by the time you get there...]