Philosophy Debate Topics for Students — page 20

1,989 debate topics, students. Debatable motions with arguments for and against. Open the arguments below, pick one at random, or present them full-screen.

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951.
The ontological argument for God fails
For
You'll remember my contention that the OA commits the fallacy of equiovcation and secondly, one cannot define a being into existince; therefore, the OA does not prove that a Judeo-Christian type god exists. In order to respond to these problems, my partner states the following:…
I. The Ontological Argument has never been very popular amongst debaters (for good reason). I will attempt to prove that the OI proves absolutely nothing. ==Rebuttals==Con's argument boils down to the following:1) We cannot imagine a greater being than God because nothing…
Against
IntroductionMy opponent claims I commit a "fallacy of equivocation," and also, that defining a being into existence is impossible. First, note that simply claiming we cannot define a being into existence is a claim without any support. It is the whimsy of my opponent, and…
This is my first attempt doing so, and the debate should prove both exciting and educational. Pro defines "God" broadly. This definition includes the following: God is the greatest being that we can fathom. As such, no being greater than God is imaginable or conceivable. Given…
952.
People in developed countries are truly free
For
My Argument: I do agree that in developed countries people may not be completely free, But do have freedom to do certain things. What people have freedom to do is said in the Bill of Rights, Or the first ten amendments to the constitution of the United States. One example is…
Against
Since this is the opening round, I am going to provide my argument on my current position, Which is that human being are not free. Argument 1: The definition of freedom: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The word Freedom stands for: - The quality or state of being…
OH NIUBI, Hhehehehehhe
953.
Humans are born pure and society corrupts them
For
My opponent's argument is not correct the wording of the resolution is PURE, not good. Also i don't have to discuss the good v. bad because it is nontopical. so extend that men are born pure. The individual edeologies that compose a certain society is what makes it corrupt, ie…
Man is by nature good; society is the cause of corruption and vice. However, In society, natural self-love becomes corrupted into a venal pride, which seeks only the good opinion of others and, in so doing, causes the individual to lose touch with his or her true nature; the…
Against
750 chr limit. Man, at birth is neither good nor bad. To be good as is requires an intrinsic notion of the term. That it is good because it is, it exists as good because it's existence is good. A thing, action is not good, or bad in and of itself. It is good, or bad in context,…
Ah trickery readers, one can tell from my opponents argument what was intended. A synonym of pure is good. http://thesaurus.reference.com... "Man is by nature good. Men are depraved and perverted by society." The two are related concepts, your argument makes that clear. Such…
954.
Mathematics cannot be proven true because it is a human invention
For
In addressing your first point on definition I would like to say that we may not physically 'blindly' accept maths but we accept it without any proof that it actually exists and is true, with or without human existence. We call an apple an apple because we perceive it to be so…
Thank you for accepting con. Maths is all around us and in everything that cannot be denied is it true? Well many say that it is true by definition. But why should we blindly accept this. Maths is based on axioms that, as the definition provided states are assumed without…
Against
Thank you for posting your arguments. Note 1: Please refer to comment number 4 under comments for corrections to my R2 arguments!Pro: "We call an apple an apple because we perceive it to be so and we have given the apple the name of the apple but theoretically we do not know…
I thank posting their arguments. REBUTTALS Pro: "Maths is all around us and in everything that cannot be denied is it true? Well many say that it is true by definition. But why should we blindly accept this." We don't accept it blindly. Definition that you are talking about is…
955.
Belief is dangerous and should be avoided
For
REBUTTAL The definition for belief that we discussed in the beginning was "a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing." At the outset of your argument you attempt to modify this definition by adding "ideas or experiences of life." I…
I apologize for my lack of structure. I agree with the definitions provided and accept the burden of proof. Before we proceed, I want to acknowledge my hypocrisy in that the title of the debate itself is a belief. A more appropriate title might look something like this: Belief…
Against
I will address my opponents rebuttal and conclude the debate. REBUTTAL Pro did not like the comment I made about meanings for belief and I agree that our original definition is the only valid one. I was making a statement about belief and provided a link for that statement.…
I would like to say I appreciate my opponents curtious nature but he usually can not change the resolution after the debate has been accepted. My opponent makes the correct assessment that his resolution is a belief in itself. Though since my opponent has been civil in this…
956.
Superstition, luck, and karma are not real
For
What the. ?! I never forfeited. .. . I do believe that luck can be considered probability. Superstition (Step on a crack break your moms back, Karma (Do good things and good things will happen to you) do not exist.
Im a religious man. Religion may have nothing to do with this subject but I for one don't belive in superstition or good or bad luck or anything to do with Karma.
Against
my oppenent show no evidence that could hep his argument. I believe it is clear who has won this debate. Vote Con!!!!!
Since this is such a different debate I will use real life examples and theories to prove that superstition, luck and karma are real. Let me start off this debate with some key definitions. Superstition- belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous…
957.
Science is more important than the arts
For
Sciene is more important than the arts because without Sciene we wouldn't have medicine and be able to act against disease
Against
My arguments are again extended.
Well, hopefully my opponent returns for later rounds. Until then, I extend my arguments.
958.
Humans are inherently evil
For
Thank you for your convincing points and moving on from general unconvincing insults. Firstly, By the Earth dying, I mean it becoming a harsh environment very different from what it used to be and no longer able to support most, If not all forms of life. Sorry for not…
The point here is the humans are evil not whether animals are evil too. Anyway, Animals do a lot of things out of instinct while humans actually make the choice to do stuff. And animals do not destroy the environment anywhere close to the scale humans do. Deforestation?…
Against
OK, I shouldn't have called you stupid or your arguments crap. That's classic ad hominem fallacy. But let's discuss the debate. First of all, Earth isn't dying because Earth isn't alive. The Earth isn't a living being, It's a planet. Just like Jupiter or the Sun can't…
Uhhh, Here comes the SJW 'humans are evil, We are killing the planet' BS. If humans are evil, So are animals! Animals rape each other, Animals kill each other, Animals kill other animals to satisfy their food cravings, Animals destroy the environment, Etc. Most of what you say…
959.
Civil disobedience can be morally justified
For
Sometimes the law is wrong.
Law is there to serve justice based on truth.
Against
Civil disobedience is a form of civil war
The debate can become overshadowed by the violence
960.
There are moral absolutes
For
I forfeit the debate. I included comments trying to draw someone more mature (older and more experienced), with a strong academic background, who had read (at least) some Kant. Instead of making the comments, and hoping the audience would understand and follow my request, I…
I set out to prove that there are moral absolutes. I"ll use "moral" and "ethical" synonymously, choosing one over the other as style dictates. By "absolute," I mean something is that true in all possible worlds, necessarily true, and true in all situations. For example, the…
Against
I hope for a civil and fair debate. I will advocate that lying is moral, depending on the circumstances. To do this, we should first agree upon the definitions of some words. I will be using the Merriam Webster dictionary. Lie: an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may…
"My arguments are Kantian, so my opponent should be quite familiar with Kant's moral theory. I put no restrictions on the opponent, but be forewarned that I have a doctorate in philosophy, and I have taught for 25 years. I'm only trying to say that I have a good deal of…
961.
Imagination has no meaningful connection to reality
For
can be life is not life, life is
non sense
Against
....-_-...life is what?
you have noting on me, imaginatin can become real, so it does have a tie to reality
962.
A theory of forms is essential to understanding philosophy
For
I expect to die; and I deserve to die, and I deserve to go to hell in your choice of A.: A Hand basket. B.: A Handcart. Or C: A Text message. If you want to talk about religious drivel I can drivel with the best of them. Rather; I would urge you to do your best with all your…
By most accounts God is merciful. I am willing to learn all those skills necessary to live a good and moral life, and if that requires that I do an end around organized religion which is a mere form of relationship, then I will sooner get to that good and moral life. Is this…
Against
Do you think God is impressed with your argument? Do you think your argument buys you the right to exist outside of the fire of Hell? You are wasting your time if you are not sure you will not burn in Hell. If all you want to do is argue as if you have the right to exist…
If you could live a good and moral life, you wouldn't have to die, would you? You have already blown it. You are wasting your time trying to convince yourself that you have the right to exist outside of the fire of Hell.
963.
Humanity can achieve a utopian society
For
First off I would like to address my opponents last statement "... it is impossible to achieve a perfect Utopia in reality.". I would like to state that all my opinions and charges to a Utopian society are based oh philosophy and theory. Now that the audience knows this I would…
I thank JBlake for accepting this challenge, and look forward to our debate. First I would like to state that achieving a Utopian society is possible, yet highly unlikely. This is due to the proverbial "strings attached" to the word utopia. A utopia can be achieved in theory if…
Against
Thank you for your quick response once again. In an attempt to avoid finishing my term paper I will respond now. I will quickly note that my opponent has attempted to change his resolution from: It is possible to achieve a Utopian society. to: It is theoretically possible to…
Claims: 1. If all people were sufficiently distracted with lovers, entertainment, and social interaction. 2. Get the world to agree on a common government. 3. Socialism is the perfect form of government for this common world government. Rebuttal: 1. The problem with this is…
964.
Human nature does not make libertarian socialism impossible to work in practice
For
Relation of MAB and RA to the resolution.My opponent brings up a different sort of argument in his last round. He argues now (coming into my last response of the debate) that I have not provided sufficient evidence that MAB and RA are large enough parts of human nature. Aside…
Clarification. Relation of MAB and RA to the resolution.The point of the contentions of MAB and RA as being large parts of human nature serves two points. (A) It shows the social and economic arrangements in society need not be set up competitively, and (B) it shows that human…
Against
I will use this round to review some of the occurrences during this debate. Relation of MAB and RA to the resolution My opponent has asserted that I have made a new argument coming into his last round. I would like to begin by also pointing out that this is only the second…
I will again divide my arguments between negating my opponent's assertions and proving my own. First, my opponent claims that he has proved that MAB and RA are large parts of human nature. This is not the case. He has proved that these are desirable traits in evolution. This,…
965.
Attacking skepticism is anti-science
For
And you as well, my friend :)
You said that sometimes it's safe to assume what you're being told is correct, why would that be? On the environment for example, we can be concerned and act like global warming is a problem but if you were a scientist, you may not believe what you're told. History is rife with…
Against
Alright i give up, your points are valid. Even though i lost the debate i'm happy because at least i could learn something from you. That was fun, i hope to do this with you another time, have a nice day.
I agree that obviously you must make sure that information you are getting is in fact true. But there are some instances i'm saying where it's safe to assume what your being told is correct. Like how were causing global warming. I think that skepticism is sometimes important…
966.
Humans have no meaningful control over their lives
For
As this is only a three-rounder, alas, I shall have to do my best to both introduce an argument you will find satisfying and refute two that you have already posited. 1. As you've noted, there are always what may be an infinite number of factors that determine whether or not an…
First and foremost, my deepest sympathies for you and your friend for the bad news. I hope whatever else happens, the outcomes for her are positive. I will keep you in my prayers, (Or, if you are of the agnostic persuasion, I'll spare you a thought the next time I do a…
Against
Your conclusion was a significant improvement over your earlier rounds in this debate, and I applaud your progress. If I can manage to organize my thoughts well enough in this closing then I think it could still be too little too late, but I am pleased that you're making me…
First and foremost, my deepest sympathies for you and your friend for the bad news. I hope whatever else happens, the outcomes for her are positive. I will keep you in my prayers, (Or, if you are of the agnostic persuasion, I'll spare you a thought the next time I do a…
967.
Secular means are the most reliable basis for morality
For
I would like to start my time here at DDO with a subject that is very close to my heart, the nature of where we derive our morality from. In my view, it is via secularist means. I am issuing this as an open challenge to anyone with interest in arguing from a different position.…
So at long last, we conclude. I have to say, this has been a debate I've enjoyed having, and I'm grateful to the one who accepted the role of Con for having this debate with me. I shall now begin with an introductory statement that summarises for the most part the nature of my…
Against
It's precisely because we're imperfect and we don't know whether anything is going to turn out good or bad, that we should not presume we have all the moral answers. We might think we know some alternatives that are the WRONG answers - my method differs from Harvey Dent's…
At this point in our debate, I think we have established two things: if secular means can reliably determine anything moral, then pro's right, and secondly, that if secular morality can determine nothing moral, then a coin toss with exclusions is more reliable and I'm right. It…
968.
Agnosticism is the best way to view life
For
I hope we can learn something through the coming four rounds. I have always been torn between Religion. My father is an Atheist, whilst my mother is Catholic; She believes in God strongly, even though my dad has debated with her and stumped her many times, along with the rest…
My opponent has forfeited this round, therefore proving that my argument is irrefutable.
Against
Well, this is my first debate is a while, so I apologize in advance if I seem a little rusty, it will be because I am. I want to take this moment to thank my opponent for posting this debate, which also seems to be his first debate, so congrats on joining DDO! Ok, so let's talk…
Ok, so let's talk about why I've won. I feel that the easiest way to to do this is to just go through the categories of voting and talk about why I've won each one (or not, depending) But first, let's talk about the definition and its relation to the topic. The reason we ought…
969.
Humans should pursue answers to life's big questions
For
Let's save my elaboration about creators and such for another time. I would say that it deserves its own debate. You keep reiterating things about "natural processes." By nature, *meant* to occur. My contention was not that being alive gives people meaning. Human purpose is…
Thank you Kinesis, my next debate topic is resurrection :) Note: I am not saying that humans are to achieve correct answers, but that they instinctively; and therefore are meant to, try to achieve answers the best they can. Kinesis said that "humans are not *meant* for…
Against
Thanks to Shakespeare for the debate! I shall present by final round as a list of counterpoints; 'Let's save my elaboration about creators and such for another time. I would say that it deserves its own debate' --> Very well. I think you have given up your only chance of…
------------- My Position ------------- First, allow me to clarify my position. What I mean when I say that we simply *are*, is not that humanity as a whole is not going anywhere, not that human knowledge is not increasing or that we do not create and achieve goals. Indeed, it…
970.
Utilitarianism is a self-consistent moral system
For
"Europeans and Americans thought they were maximizing happiness for the Africans because 1) they thought they were already being overly kind to "animals" and 2) the Africans were already being enslaved by other Africans and being a slave in Europe/America was much better than…
"Utilitarianism is not a self-consistent moral system because utilitarianism is not moral in the first place. Since utilitarianism is doing the greater good for the greatest amount of people, we are forgetting about the minority. According to probe.org, ""utilitarianism cannot…
Against
"You just completely ignored the definitions of "moral system" I posted." I did not ignore the definition of moral system my opponent posted. I did not attack it because there was merely nothing to say about it. A moral system is a system of ideas of right and wrong conduct.…
"I specified in my opening that when I said "utilitarianism" I referred to maximizing happiness while also reducing suffering. Neither of the examples given minimizes suffering, rather, they increase it hugely." Europeans and Americans thought they were maximizing happiness for…
971.
Absolute truth exists independent of human belief
For
Absolute truth exist. Something can be absolutely true. I don't know how to say it any other way then that. You are arguing that nothing can be absolutely true. It is absolutely true that we exist. It is absolutely true that we can't live without water. It is absolutely true…
Absolute truth exist. Only rule is no trolls.
Against
For my opponent to prove the resolution true, he must explain not only why truth can be absolute, but by what metric we are judging truth under. If he is not providing some sort of metric to weigh truths under, then we have no reason to believe his truths are absolute truths,…
I'll start by responding to his questions.1. Is it absolutely true that everything I said is correct?Of course not. That's what I'm advocating for in terms of this debate. It's your job to refute what I'm saying. If you don't then it's true. If you do then it's false. The…
972.
Popularity of a belief is not evidence of its truth
For
I still don't see what any of this has to do with the resolution.
This is lovely, but what does it have to do with the resolution?
Against
So Catholicism is the largest religion on earth; this is because it is consistent in its doctrines from the Old Testament forward. What we have today though is an imposter church that is not even remotely Catholic (yet still has the largest body of believers). NOSTRA AETATE -…
Starting with the "Religions of Peace":Hinduism, Bhuddism, teach neither proseltyzing nor war.This creates a problem here on earth, as Nature demands Speciation; we'll define Speciation as an ebb and flow between invading armies, killing the weak and impregnating their women,…
973.
The moral argument for God's existence is not sound
For
Resolution The moral argument for God's existence is not sound. Structure R1. Acceptance R2. Opening Arguments R3. First Rebuttals R4. Second Rebuttals R5. Closing Statements Rules 1. No arguments in the first round. 2. No new arguments in the last round. 3. Do your best to…
This round is for conclusions. No new arguments should be added. A summary of previous arguments and an appeal to the voter will be allowed. Conduct Scotty and I both maintained reasonable conduct. As long as Scotty doesn't break any rules in his last round (like adding new…
Against
This round is for my conclusions. Conduct Philsobot and I both had reasonable conduct. I agree with my opponent. Grammar My opponent is right. I am new to typing for proper purposes so I make mistakes. He sure like to blair these mistakes which I would think is obivious to the…
What's the Problem? You assume OM is not applied to if you do not believe in God. It is not a option if you do not believe in God or recognize God means you do not have OM. God has grounded morality and whether or not we accept that OM, it does exist. Philosophers have by the…
974.
Humans are fundamentally selfish
For
We are all selfish, Even when we are being "selfless". Because even when we are doing things that are selfless, We might not realize it but it gratifies us in some way or another. When a parent does something for their kids, It"s because the kid fulfills a sense of purpose for…
Against
Pro forfeited debate.
Pro forfeited R2.
975.
Free will is largely an illusion
For
Indeed you have broken your own arguements. You're a god who seems to know all these things; you have the power to renew everything yet you do nothing to better this world. Or YOUR world at least, but I'll get to that later. Why haven't you reached the third stage yet? That's…
This debate has taken a very interesting toll. Even though we're straying too far from the topic, I will humour Con's mentality whilst proving my point. Your first paragraph is very strange and has nothing to do with this debate. If you want to specify and stress context, then…
Against
Are you expecting a big bang? Nah, here have a whimper. I already climaxed enough throughout this debate, I'll just give you one simple thing to think about, to explain why there is a "reality" for our "self". Dreams - evidence is here. Nothing can be argued. Dreams are…
My analogies are not straw-manning the topic, it's really just my my ability to break down everything - I became a god that now knows all there is to know about consciousness, ignorance, "I", arrogance, psychopathy, how to fix this society, how to save humanity and the three…
976.
Time travel cannot change outcomes unless information is retained
For
The point is that a person does not really get to choose what they do, they make decisions based on their knowledge and experiences and a given moment in time. So no matter how many times you retry, nothing has changed that would lead you to change your actions thus resulting…
You didn't read carefully enough. I stated that you do not retain the memories of any moment past the point that you rewwind to. Thanks for accepting this debate it's something I've thought a bit about and I'd like to hear another perspective. :) cheers.
Against
There are different ways one could respond to the same stimuli based on experience. This means that something could happen which leads him to get out of harms way.
"You do not retain any knowledge past the point of the rewinded 60 seconds." I see your point there but your wording is quite confusing. This kind of implies that anything after the 60 seconds you don't remember. But that is beside the point. According to the law of infinite…
977.
An immortal soul is possible
For
I am going to start this by saying i am not religious, but i can agree that my beliefs have been influenced by their ideas. I can further say that everything i believe, has been created by my biological brain. Furthermore, from what we know about how humans work, i can believe…
"mopey and offended" I am certainly not mopey, and you can say i took some offense, but i don't feel that either. I would say i am mainly frustrated. Instead of going with the ideas i present, i feel i have to repeat my view over and over bc you'd rather focus on cherry picking…
Against
[ Continued Concession ]
"I didn't think that this debate is going to turn into wordplay. I may have been a little too humble and respectful; i feel you are taking advantage of that. "the first is the Dualism which isn't really there and the second is the Knowledge of Science which is really…
978.
Free will is not an important question for secularists
For
No doubt question of free will has been one of the most controversial issues among philosophers. I argue it is not something worth debating, especially if one is not concerned with theology. The structure of debate will be intro>argument>arg/counterarg>conclusion Note that the…
Against
Excuse me while I defecate.
Dooby
979.
Time travel would destroy free will if it existed
For
Extend arguments. I would like to thank LordRenly for wasting my time and trolling on this debate and in the forums. I do hope the Dark Knight didn't decide to turn on him for exposing the truth to us fools...
Since you are new here, I will point out that you should not try to change the definitions of words that have been defined, unless there is ample reason to do so. In this case, I cited the source for the definition of time travel, plus by defining it, I limited the scope of the…
Against
Well I think you are assuming that time travel will go in both directions. Maybe we will go backwards only and cannot go forwards. Also, the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics notes that any time someone make a decision a new world is created, so enter just one…
980.
Blame and gratitude are illogical concepts
For
I congratulate you on your sources as they are quite extensive and technical. If we except what you say to be true and there is an area of behavior that is hard-wired into the brain then we must look at where this hard wiring derives from. Taking out any external factors that…
I do apologize because you seem to have misunderstood my thinking on the human brain through no fault of your own but through my own negligence. My theory is not that any given brain will react the same given the same set of circumstances but that a brain will react according…
Against
It's really been a pleasure to debate with you, but I'm afraid I must disagree again: while I'm glad that you consider the possibility of hard-wired instincts as an alternative source of inputs, I think that only the second example I brought was a clear cut instinctive response…
No need to apologize, my last paragraph was mostly rhetorical. As for your contention, that behavior is the effect solely of external factors (and reinforcement or lack of the same), I find it, as before, not complete. To clarify: I agree that the brain is an input-output…
981.
Science cannot be fully objective
For
(R3.1a) Round 1 summary PRO Agreed on definition (s.1). Disagreed on ad hoc definition (o.2). Noted that (o.2) is not substantively or qualitatively distinct from (sj.1). Noted that "objectivity" and "subjectivity" are mutually exclusive. (R3.1b) Round 1 summary CON CON's key…
(1) Disputed definition of objectivity (2) Key support for resolution (3) Reinforcements (4) Conclusion (5) Sources I appreciate CON's candor in round 1. I hope we will be able to come to some agreement and I will continue my attempts to clarify my position and more fully…
Against
There is a lot of repetition of previous rounds in my opponent's last post. I'll just address the new points he raised. My opponent's argument against direct realism fails to distinguish between observations and propositions. An observation is infallible - there is no wrong way…
In this post, I'm going to make some major clarifications of my concept of objectivity and apply them, while responding to some side points along the way.1. The Disputed Definition of Objectivity1a. My DefinitionOne of the main problems we're having in this debate, as we learn…
982.
An axe remains the same axe after replacing its blade and handle
For
My opponent states that the atom would not matter. But then, what if you switch the entire bike frame for another, one atom at a time? Clearly, each individual atom does not change the bike, as you have said. The end result would have to be considered the same as the first.…
While changing the entire rest of the bike all at once may change the bike, what if you change a little part of it at a time? Then one part of it would be the "core." But what if you disassemble the core? Then you're down to the smaller parts, or eventually, the atom,…
Against
The exact scenario of the axe parts' replacement was never formally established; so far there have been two possibilities presented: 1. The parts are each just replaced, one after the other, with each part being replaced all at once. 2. The head wears down to the point of…
It doesn't really make sense to say that the "core" of the bike could be reduced to a single atom and remain the "core," because that atom would neither be recognizable as part of a bike nor be useable as a bike. Once you reduce a bike to a single atom most people would agree…
983.
The cosmological argument from contingency is sound
For
Defense of Premise 2Contingent sets and circular loopsMy opponent in trying to defend circular loops as explaining a contingent set asks why some fact A which explains B could not also be explained by B. The mere fact that B is explained by A makes B contingent upon A. And if A…
Defense of Premise 2Contingent sets and circular loopsIn Con's objection to this point, he attempts to argue that a series of contingent facts may loop back into itself wherein the series is explained by itself. My opponent attempts to justify this point by referring to the…
Against
Circular Loops: Here my opponent introduces new restrictions on what it means to be contingent. Note the original argument say this: "Every contingent fact has an explanation. " And my opponent later adds: "Since a contingent fact cannot explain itself. .. " These are the only…
Circular LoopsI'm not sure I made myself clear on this point. I concede that a contingent fact cannot explain itself. For example, if we label a contingent fact "A" then I accept that "A" cannot explain "A.""A", however, can explain "B." "B", being a contingent fact, can't…
984.
Free will is more rational to accept than determinism
For
Extend
Hey SoloNo.1! Thanks for accepting this debate. So, onto the arguments. The Case For Affirming Free-Will Argument 1 My main argument for free will comes from the recent revelations from quantum mechanics, and more specifically, Quantum indeterminacy. The idea is that if the…
Against
Thank you for having posted this debate, I find it to be a very interesting topic. I accept the shared burden, the definitions, and the Round rules. I look forward to an enjoyable debate, Nzrsaa. Happy arguing!
985.
Likability matters more than capability in leaders
For
I don't think you're arrogant; I think you're confident, but I like confident people. You're a very knowledgeable person, and you want to know everything there is to know, and that's not a problem; the problem is, you want to know things you aren't eligible of knowing. You're…
I appreciate you reminding me of my lack of clarity, for it is something I forget and need to be caution of. As much as I appreciate the clarity, rather than opposing my argument, like an opponent is intended to do, I feel like you were essentially just clarifying my argument…
Against
I think that you have to be one of the coolest people in I've ever met. I have a condition that you might not be accustomed to, but because of your bravery and kindness, I wish to share who I truly am. Now it's the time to see if you can walk into my shoes. Thank you for this,…
It's a well-put retort, however, I am by far the worst opponent you can possibly have. I have the ability to truly look through objectivity which I will prove in a source. I am one of the smartest people alive because of it. Now as you are reading this, I can imagine(not…
986.
The concept of omnipotence is logically incoherent
For
A careful reading of my opponents opening round proves MY point: I HAVE rested my case.
A careful reading of my opponents opening round proves MY point: I HAVE rested my case.
Against
Well, since DAT is either incapable or unwilling of responding to my arguments, I'll just outline the two points that give me the easy win. 1) The contradictions arising around omnipotence have nothing to do with the term. Using the example of the rock too heavy for God to…
Even the most plebeian reading of my opponent's argument proves that he does not understand the concept. **************************************************** Omnipotence is the power to do anything. The omnipotence paradox is a flawed argument. A "solution" to the omnipotence…
987.
The course of world history is largely predetermined
For
Will you bring up an interesting argument, Evolution. My question was about human history, but I certainly recognize the impact of the non-human organisms on human history. Now to argue in this debate you'd have to stick to the parameters of the question just like in any…
Another Example. People say that creation of steel was an accident. And technical I'll admit it was an accident. In antiquity a person smelting Iron led a jar of carbon fall in it and created a super hard material. Steel remained to be produced in a small scale all over the…
Against
I apologize for not responding in round 1. I had very little free time due to the holiday season and an increase in work hours accordingly. I did type up a lengthy, near 8,000 character response originally, but my web browser decided to close randomly before it could be…
988.
Humans are morally superior to animals
For
My opponent clearly doesn't understand what the term "destroyed" refers to when he uses it. In the context "humans have destroyed the world" he overlooks that in this situation there is a beneficiary. Therefore, it depends on the perspective. If I cut down 100 trees in order to…
Sorry for late delivery of this argument: I flew to New York to visit family during Christmas. To correct my opponents reasoning, "humans' advanced thinking does not benefit the common good." Whether humans' ability to think clearly and rationally is objectively great, there is…
Against
"If I cut down 100 trees in order to build a farm that feeds a small town, is it destruction?" The answer, in fact, is yes. The "innovators" such as my opponent ignore the fact that other living beings exist. 100 trees could house millions of different life forms! If genocide…
My opponent started off by refuting my point that humans' advanced thinking does not benefit the common good. However, this argument still stands. According to him, if we are doing good for the short term life of our country, we are doing good for the world. This is the kind of…
989.
Consequentialism is a flawed ethical theory
For
I would like to ask my opponent why that person's life is worth more than the brother's job and how a Consequentialist would come to such an opinion if the brother bloomed to become the next Einstein but would never have got his physicist career's success if his rival hadn't…
First, let's define "Consequentialism". http://plato.stanford.edu... Consequentialism holds that whether an act is morally right depends only on the consequences of that act or of something related to that act, such as the motive behind the act or a general rule requiring acts…
Against
My opponent has made a few mistakes, some minor, and some major. Firstly, he has made a strawman fallacy in saying that "my" example isn't conclusive as I have not justified the value system within it. He made the thought experiment with the assumption that the murder was…
As far as the definition goes, my opponent left out an integral aspect of wikepedia's definition: "if a goal is morally important enough, any method of achieving it is acceptable" This heavily suggests that an action is not deemed morally acceptable simply because it holds some…
990.
Human mind can influence physical reality
For
The human willpower is far more superior than its per-considered role of survival of human body and it has power to severely affect time and spaced phenomenons metaphysically beyond rules of our physical world. Following are my evidence in support of this claim 1. As a simple…
So far we are in agreement that Human being are superior to animals as they have human spirit when compared to animals also you agreed with my definition of human spirit that human spirit is the very breath of Almighty God and was breathed into man at the beginning of God"s…
Against
I assume I do not have to make an opening argument because you didn't tell me too. So I am going to start with a rebuttal point by point. 1.) I actually find this very interesting. But, this does not affect rules beyond our physical world. This only shows us that we have a…
First off, human spirit merely refers to our consciousness that is free from logic and experience and is based on free-will, nothing to do with metaphysics. I believe in God, yet I do not believe that he gave us metaphysical abilities, if so, he would teach that in the Bible.…
991.
Nothing is inherently a waste of time
For
//We are restarting this debate. VanillaisLove forfeited last time due to other commitments but is kind enough to agree to restart. We will just copy paste the arguments already delivered and then continue from there. // This is a short debate. You only have 24 hours to respond…
Con attacks me by saying that I have narrowed this debate down to only hobbies. I admit that I did not define the topic but to be fair, in a short debate like this we should use the "most reasonable definition". I have already alluded in my Round 2 arguments that "nothing" here…
Against
Pro's logic is quite frustrating. They haven't clearly explained a few things, which I will point out in my following arguments. First off, they have not established which actions fall under the category of "nothing". Would everything count as not being a waste of time, as long…
Thanks for letting me retake it without being offended or getting mad at me for exceeding the time limit. Good luck, again. Hello, I accept your debate. I am for Con, and will therefore be arguing against the notion that nothing is inherently a waste of time.
992.
Consequentialism is a valid normative ethical system
For
Thank you for the debate, con. In this last round, con appears to have very plainly ignored the contentions I have made. The three issues (which I did deal with individually) all stand within the context of my argument, and are as follows. The first issue concerns the nature of…
Thank you con. I will begin with a defense of my contentions, followed by a criticism of my opponent's. 1. Please note that consequentialism says nothing about there being no intrinsic values. Consequentialism dictates that an act's value is based on the values of its…
Against
I haven't ignored any of Pro's contentions and I am not sure why Pro feels this way. Pro's entire system of Consequentialism works like this: The first event: God or singularity All actions: The result of occurrences after this event making them inevitable. All consequences:…
In order for the debate to proceed I think it is important to understand what the terms 'intrinsic' and 'value' mean. Intrinsic, in the context of this debate, should be taken to mean belonging to a thing by its very nature (as opposed to the resulting consequences). Value, in…
993.
Morality is compatible with determinism
For
I am arguing that morality can exist in a deterministic world. prove me wrong.
hhmmmm. .. .
Against
For this debate the dictionary definition of morality doesn't quite apply significantly because it doesn't render 'free will'.I would like to define morality as "The conscious awareness of an objective right and wrong applicable in an absolute sense to all situations an…
To rape is a conscious decision in anyone's book. The question determinists answer with 'no' is whether or not the conscious choice to rape could ever have been avoided or undetermined. Please don't play childish semantics.Let's get to the real debate...You have essentially…
994.
Idealism should be valued above pragmatism in conflicts
For
A couple weeks ago, the radio in my car stopped working. Now, since I'm a guy, you can imagine that this was pretty much the end of the world for me because I really value being able to listen to music. The next day I took my car to a mechanic and he was able to fix the radio.…
Against
I was hoping for a debate rather than a prompted monologue. I think it is bad conduct to post a challenge then forfeit. My arguments went unaswered, so they stand.
Was the decision to forfeit pragmatic or idealistic? Arguments are continued.
995.
Humans can never know reality until they die
For
Reality is behind death's door. This is my own perception of the world and I would be happy to debate and defend it against someone. Anyone is welcome to challenge just make sure you stick until the end.
"There isn't much for me to rebut, so all I can say is provide me with some evidence and I'd be happy to respond to it, otherwise you have to admit you are believing such a claim based on false/spurious premises." I have evidences and I stated them in my last argument. I said…
Against
"I have evidences and I stated them in my last argument. I said "The philosophies of Rene Descartes, Jean Paul Sartre and St. Thomas Aquinas are the bases of my argument.". I got it from books about philosophy of man. Books about philosophy of man contains various philosophers…
"I don't quite agree on because it's only the brain that died, not automatically the mind. It is possible that a SOUL in the form of mind exists and it is the one giving function to the brain."I won't say that it's impossible, but in order to demonstrate even a basic…
996.
Humans have free will
For
It's not a matter of gumtion or ingenuity. The brain fully understanding itself is an impossibility. Allow me to ask a few simple questions:What are you thinking about?Are you thinking about what you are thinking about?Are you thinking about the point of these questions?Or are…
You argued that nature controls us. I agree that we're entirely natural beings. What I disagree with is that that implies fate. Our thought process is not predestined because there's no way to predict what someone is going to think. The reason I was bringing up the uncertainty…
Against
If you Think we are entirely natural beings,shouldn't it mean we are 100% predictable I do believe in fate.we are just not able to predict certain events thus modern computers aren't capable of viewing every single factor that makes us run and putting it all together to give us…
Thank you for being reasonable and accepting the idea as a hole. But I do have to point out to the audience though that this debate is in the philosophical Category not the scientific. therefore by then accepting my opinion and then pointing out somewhat scientific fact to…
997.
The burden of proof does not exist
For
The person making a claim has "Burden of Proof".A default position is assigned by the system on is working in."So I will start by pointing out two things; firstly, there is only one standard of onus probandi" - BeasttFalse. Articles on "Burden of proof" are divided into areas…
Let me assume that Burden of Proof exists for a second.1. Legal "burden of proof" does Not Equal philosophical or debate "burden of proof"1. My opponent is using the legal definition and examples to describe a philosophical onus probandi.The difference is in a court system the…
Against
My only fear here is that this will be taken as a theist verses atheist issue, rather than an issue judged on the relative merits of the arguments and logic presented. This applies to a great span of different topics and should be reviewed with that in mind. It's a sad fact…
Firstly, allow me to point out the shifting of goal-posts on the part of the instigator (the "Pro"). They started by saying that my position is that "Onus Probandi (Burden of Proof), Does NOT EXIST". In fact, they selected that as the title of the debate. But when I showed in…
998.
Humans probably have free will
For
IntroductionWouldn't an immediate experience be at the top of the lake since its "immediate?" It's not like free will or consciousness is uncharted territory; we experience these things. What we don't experience is determinism or consciousness matter, so Con must face bottom of…
Introduction How can Con reasonably dismiss perception within the absence of a defeater? If I have the immediate experience of the external world & no defeater other than speculation, then I'm rational to trust my noetics. We almost universally perceive freewill (testimony =…
Against
Introduction My opponent has run away with the point on distrusting immediate perception. There's a very good reason why I put that adjective there. Determinism does not render the perception inert,…then it really would be self-defeating. Rather, my point is that we're seeing…
Introduction My opponent appears to derive justification of his position from plain human perception. His arguments rest on the unjustified presupposition that our immediate perception is a correct depiction of actuality,….this is a blatant case of Mind Projection Fallacy. In…
999.
The mind is entirely a physical substance
For
Many Of us are under the delusion that consciousness is nonphysical. Well for a matter-of-fact consciousness is physical. http://www.integralworld.net... Thoughts and emotions all come from the phenomena of our brain being so complicated whereas the neurone cells send and…
The mind-body problem is perhaps one of the greatest problems in science and philosophy. Over the course of many years, philosophers and scientists tried to imagine the two, either intercepting with each other or being on two parallels. I solemnly believe that everything we…
Against
My opponent attempts to use filthy semantics to render this indisputable for con.His attempt has unfortunately failed because everyone in the universe knows that although it's attached to a physical presence, consciousness in and of itself is non-physical as is mind.Oh yes…
If we take mind simply to be the physical brain, this would make this indisputable and a pointless resolution indeed. We are discussing here that mysterious thing named "conscious thought". It's the part of us that isn't there physically but is only experienced in the…
1000.
Humans possess an objective morality
For
According to the outline, I'm supposed to accept the argument here, so en garde! I look forward to the dissent.
I concede this debate, though I do not contend that humans are incapable of objective morality. I had login issues, so this wouldn't be much of a debate at this point.
Against
In this debate inspired by a comment discussion I'd like to debate the notion that humans have an objective morality whether it comes from religion, natural means, ect.Objective: not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; basedon facts; unbiased…
I extend my arguments.

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