Philosophy Debate Topics — page 25

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• My opponent has forfeited. I'd like to thank Krazzy_Player for pointing out that I used the wrong terminology when I insinuated my opponent conceded arguments. I think the proper term I should have used is that my opponent dropped my arguments.Yet I have countered every one of…
• My opponent did not set definitions in the first sound, so it is customary for the accepter to clarify definitions. Thus the definitions I provided should be the definitions used.ConcessionMy opponent concedes my arguments. Under the definitions I provided, my opponent has not…

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• I also expounded upon the first thesis by introducing qualia. Why do you ignore the qualia? I noted qualia every time and even questioned last time. I did not establish 'there is no obstacle whatsoever to obtaining knowledge of the phenomena.' Qualia is an obstacle when we try…
• Although you knew that my statements are unclear to you, you refuted arguments not mine without considering other cases and questioning, which is termed strawman fallacy. Only you suffered intellectual disconnect. Consider other cases, and ask a question before distorting.…

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• My opponent asks for a similar study that would use the scientific method. I offer it here: Use a control group Select one group of young people and one group of older people. If the mind is responsible for NDE's (near-death experiences), then the two groups should have similar…
• Responding to my opponent's most recent round: I can't extend all my arguments, due to space constraints. 2. The fact that we can't remember dreams proves the mind depends on the brain. Mark Blagrove, Professor of Psychology, explains that our brain neuro-chemistry is different…

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• My opponent asks how feeling sorry for someone can lead to a conflict on interest. It is easy. By feeling sorry for someone, you obtain a negative feeling. One feels bad for punishing a child. However, if one does not feel sorry for one's action, one will be more willing to…
• My opponent argues that: "A mother may beat her child but she can still feel sorry for him. After all, he didn't know any better." I would like to note that beating a child is proven to be an ineffective way to correct child behavior, and often makes the child more violent and…

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• i have no beliefs, belief is theism i know my experience of now to me a star is a light in the night sky and nothing beyond that, and the earth i know beneath me has no necessary shape if=false=imaginary i agree that, i can remember what i imagine, just like i can remember what…
• yes i agre logic dosnt equal morality. morality is subjective cause+effect=logic logic+experience of it=reason(concept, mental simulation of logic) reason+intent=morality belief=unresonable=wrong=illogical=immoral=bad=false=imagination…

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• I express my thanks to thett3, I conclude from my opponents round 2 that I haven't presented enough evidence for the rational decision to be taken that reincarnation should be accepted on a rational basis. Thett3 is asking for scientific proof of the soul, this as I have…
• Thank you Thett3 for your respectful introduction. "It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection." "Voltaire http://www.reversespins.com... Now, I shall begin by expressing my concern for taking on such a subtle subject, I use the…

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• 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…

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• I'm sorry my sons have been sick this past week. I would like to continue this debate but I don't know how to postpone it. So I guess I just forfeit. Good points all around. Your assumption that I would need to personally prove all obligatory actions to be insincere was off,…
• Whereas, to be obliged is to forgo the privilege of sincerity, and, Whereas, an obligatory action is one performed under the pretense of the obligation and, Whereas, sincerity is the freedom from all pretense and, Whereas, a sincere act must be a desired act regardless of the…

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• Philosophy is dead. Philosophy here includes both analytic and continental schools, including metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, metaethics, etc.,... Pretty much all acknowledged schools of philosophy, other than logic. (I understand some discomfort among the readers. The…

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• Ah! Thank you JustMasum for accepting the challenge. According to Google: "Utopia is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More." Sir Thomas argued that such a place could never…
• "Utopia is impossible, so it's not even worth shooting for. As long as mankind is flawed, and mankind will ALWAYS be flawed, an earthly Utopia is simply impossible" That's what most preachers, pundits and professors will fill your head with these days. To this, I proudly say:…

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• The purpose of society is to condition those within it to become acceptable by the fickle standards it has set. To some degree this is a good thing, but now-a-days, with the internet shrinking the world, societal conditioning does more harm than good. when we should be looking…

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• Extend arguments.
• Extend arguments.

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• I. General Rebuttal Con's solution won't do for two reasons. First, he broke the rules and extended the argument beyond the argument. Note that the paradox clearly states that "each Reaper n, is assigned the moment 1/2^n minute after 1pm." It doesn't say at 1pm. (This rebuttal…
• I thank Con for entertaining the merit of this argument with me. I also thank the reviewers and referees for their respective opinion and engagement on the matter irrespective of the outcome. The contentions stated above by Con are indeed what the Grim Reaper Paradox seeks to…

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• ye
• yea

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• Man, already at the conclusion of the debate. Seems like we are only just now starting to get into the meat of the debate. I will begin my conclusion with thanking Con for the debate. Thank you Con. In this final round I will begin my conclusion by addressing randomness again,…
• Thank you Con for your opening arguments Rebuttals Con's Randomness argument I=Randomness in the world P1: If there is no randomness, then there is no free will P2: Randomness is possible C: Therefore free will is possible Free will=unrestricted choice Randomness 1. Proceeding,…

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• -Since it cannot be proven that there is a God or not, we cannot prove that the purpose of life is to serve Him. -The only purpose we have is to please ourselves while alive. The behaviors described in the definition of life is mostly based on our instincts. We learn, and…
• Life means something to you until you die, and, depending on what you leave behind, maybe to beings in the future. But eventually, you will die, they will die, our planet will die, our species will die. And you were here for nothing. So make of life what you will, because it…

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• The con refutes my previous argument, that scientific theories are in fact an interpretation of emotion by suggesting that if this is true that all scientists "loves pursuing their work, and that they work solely for the thrill of working"and says that this is untrue. The con…
• I want to emphasize that I specifically meant all Original Ideas are logical and practical interpretations of emotion. I say original because in this philosophical world we are currently attempting to speak in, the motivation for repeating some else's idea is likely that…

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• 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…

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• Resolved: Plato's Republic is a rhetorical attempt to curb political extremism Ob. 1: First, it must be noted that Plato's Republic is a dialogue – it is a conversation between Socrates and his "friends" near the Athens in the port town of Piraeus. Dialogues, in ancient Greece…
• Hi...as the resolution prescribes, this is a debate over a specific interpretation of The Republic. ==Definitions== The Republic is indeed The Republic by Plato... 1) Rhetorical: Expressed in terms intended to persuade 2) Curb: Restrain or keep in check 3) Political Extremism:…

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• convince me how u can lead using mind power rather than muscle power

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• "1.The fact that many people share the same genders" This is true but like I said earlier not a single finger print, tonuge print, etc is like anyone elses. Not even identical twins are just alike. "2.The fact that many people share the same sexuality" This is true but no one…
• Everyone is unique. Ever heard of the saying two heads are better than one? . . . No one thinks exactly alike. Everyone's body is unique . . . Not one finger print, tongue print, etc. is like anyone else's. We all have different gifts & talents. Everyone has an individual…

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• Okay this is turning into something waay different. Let this be the last of an eyeball. This is really starting get rocky on whether we are talking about eyeballs or answers.
• Were your eyes man-made? No. I should have specified. Man-Made! Well, You still have two eyes. One just doesn't work properly or at all. So therefore your problem is inadequate. Though your field of vision may be different. You can still see, smell, hear, taste and feel. Maybe…

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• Straw-ManMy opponent claims that my argument is that because there is no "before" The Big Bang, that asking about causal states of affairs "before" The Big Bang is meaningless. The problem was that this was not really my argument. My argument is that there is nothing impossible…
• Assuming The A-Theory Of TimeIf something comes into being, then this entails that prior to the first state of that thing existing, that thing was out of being. This seems like a self-evident truth. For example, we know I came into being because prior to the first state I…

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• This would have been a good debate.
• One forfeit will equal loss of conduct, two will equal 7 point loss.

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• Since we are discussing the validity of Bostrom's arguments, all definitions should come from Bostrom. Bostrom's original paper defined the "post human stage of civilization" as that stage ". . . where humankind has acquired most of the technological capabilities that one can…
• The Bostrom Simulation Argument means the argument made by Nick Bostrom in the following paper: http://www.simulation-argument.com... Likely means more likely than not, i.e. having a probability of more than 50%. Correct: True; in this context, accurately reflecting reality. To…

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• If you've made it to this point, you've done some major scrolling to get here. I would like to thank you on behalf of both the government and the opposition for taking the time to read through our debate. REBUTTAL Opp claims Kant is okay with lying in certain situations because…
• The opposition has chosen Kant to stand against Utilitarianism and has twisted about three scenarios for you where Kant seems to be preferable (though it is not so), yet he curiously left my main arguments untouched. My personal style is to first remind you of my arguments,…

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• First of all its not my definition of or for the word existence . Research the definitions of what these words mean . You'll find basically the word exist means the state of actuality or condition of being . See reading too fast and not comprehending to well . Axiom or no axiom…
• Yes I assert my existence because I am here . Exist means a state of actuality or a state of being. Meaning that something that occurs to be so is so . What is so is so . That's because our brains have processed the information as such . Anything that is not real or processed…

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• (Note: I'm new here and don't yet understand how to forfeit/add comments.) :) That was, indeed, a very good argument. I'm almost ashamed for not having read "A Brief History of Time" yet, being the science nerd that I am. I am also ashamed of allowing myself to think of time as…
• We do not exist. Who's to say that we do? Think about it. It is believed that time is infinite. That it will never end. Ok. So how did it begin? Who's to say it did? To have no beginning is a pretty hard concept to think about. But if you relate that idea with the idea of no…

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• My opponent doesn't realize he must post a case that supports his point of view(namely God doesn't exist). Proving God is unnecessary doesn't prove he doesn't exist, but even so I refuted those arguments as I will continue to do in this round. Russell's TeapotMy opponent brings…
• My opponent has yet to post a case, refuting my arguments do not fulfill the BOP that he was given in the rules and confirmed in PM. While my opponents refutations are obviously false, it doesn't matter because my opponent has failed to justify his position. He must either…

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• I understand that the Merriam Webster dictionary is a reputable source of definitions, however it is quite clear that it was not written from an anarchist's perspective and that its definitions are not particularly applicable to the theory. Self-government in this case should…
• Okay, since we appear to be going down the definitions route I must state that the definition of anarchism you have provided is simply incorrect. First off, the lack of government is only true with regards to government as a hierarchical structure, with rulers. This does not…

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• Rebuttals- I have not made any misconduct. before this debate was accepted, I was asked to define Love. Which I did. I was not asked to define Love at First Sight, which I did in Round 2. Scenario 2In your last argument you said and I quote, "2) Consider the following poem from…
• Love at first sight is a common trope in Western literature, in which a person, character, or speaker feels romantic attraction for a stranger on the first sight of them. Described by poets and critics from the Greek world on, it has become one of the most powerful tropes in…

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• My opponent, once again, forfeited. I can only draw the conclusion that he has given up. Because my opponent cedes to my arguments, you should vote for me - Aff. This was a good half debate and I look forward to the next one. Thank you.
• My opponent has given up on the round. Though this may be due to mulitiple reasons, all I can assume is that he cannot refute my attacks. If this is so, then the round goes to me. Hopefully my opponent will speak in the last round. Thank you for your time.

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• 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…

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• Go to the link but vote here, thanks.
• Firstly, I want to say thank you to my esteemed opponent for this debate. He has a great reputation as a debater, and I look forward to his certainly strong case.We must first start with the basic principle of what is morality, or what is ethics. Of course, if ethics isn't…

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• What are we, mere mortals on a heavenly earth capable of producing and destroying life? What does this earth, our existence and humanity ask of us? What are we doing here? What is our purpose? The answer is that we are a tool, a part of the human race, merely one of the species…
• Sorry, I have done pretty rubbish so far; I only just started this debating lark, excuses. When one looks back at human history one sees strong leaders, people who changed the world. People who were smart, brilliant, and clever, people like Lenin or Bismarck someone who is…

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• :(
• Unfortunately, Con has forfeit. Extend my arguments.

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• (No I'm not going to bring up the "Can god create a rock god cannot lift" conundrum that has little relevance in this debate). The redefining of omnipotent is something that kind of gets my goat. Omnipotent means the ability to do anything. Omni=all Potent= great power. It…
• If a being is omnipotent it can do anything (this itself opens up some issues) essentially it has ultimate power. If a being is omniscient then it knows everything that it possible to know, what will happen in the future and everything that happened in the past. This is where…

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• I still violated and went against my own side. Thus, conduct points go to you. And btw, fha;lsfhjldhf;alshghlajg. There is grammar. I have no sources. No one will agree with me. All points now go to Con. So please, I urge everyone to vote Con. lLol. At least i dont have to…
• Okay fine. oops... my mistake : P But since, it is unlikely i can now win, one could make the statement it would be impossible for me to lose. Since that impossibility is impossible, than impossibility can be impossible. So, thus impossibility is impossible. Thank you!

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• I'd also like to remind the viewers not to vote on sources as agreed upon. The problem of 'consequence verses motive'First I requested my opponent directly answers my question of whether the man committed a moral or immoral act. My opponents negligence to comply only affects…
• My opponent is free to argue what morality implies if it corresponds with the definition of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism states that certain actions are morally good/bad.actions. This entails objective moral obligations, for for every objective moral basis there is a system…

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• Thanks to wiploc for the debate, but, unfortunately I shall show that all of his arguments fail.Every Contingent Fact Has an ExplanationCon attempts something like a reductio ad absurdum but it fails from the get go starting with this:"Let's take two facts: Fact A is the fact…
• Thanks to wiploc for agreeing to debate me on this.Wiploc has many criticisms; I will attempt to take them in turn.Worries about Premise (1)Con says there is no reason to believe this yet I gave several reasons to believe it in my first round so this criticism would seem to…

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• Ok, maybe you are right in some case. but how you can explain the reasons of divorces? You believe for true love, but why usually male cheating their wife even if he truly love his wife? Is it justly to love this men???? Is it True Love from your opinion. If we combine all male…
• How you will be with the person that you really love, without monney. how you can buy to her present without moey. As I understood you against Money, but don't you think that people are lose their feelings, passion because of money. The feelings of love is a temporary emotion.…

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• Thank you again to TheSkeptic - he provided some excellent objections. I agree with my opponent as well in that it's best to keep the arguments to a minimum so we can fully explicate and defend our arguments properly. ==================== Is disembodied existence and perception…
• I am proposing that dualism about the mind - that the mind and the body are ontologically distinct as my opponent kindly pointed out for the readers - is true, and because I sense that this may turn into a lengthy and detailed debate, I am only going to be using one argument…

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• Now in your previous argument you said that it would be less interesting if i were to say art can not be perfictly defined, i totally agree with this, infact most things cannot be perfectly defined. but i also believe that art cannot be defined well. there are so many different…
• what ever you say, it is impossible to define art. in fact it is impossible to define mostly anything with a sentence, but this debate is about art. you can give counterexamples for what others say. (this means not the definition but what is it) the book "Philosophy Gym" has a…

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• Thanks for debating with me. Yes good means moral. Most people have at least a little bit of moral accept hitler and Ted bundy and so on. I think all people accept really bad ones deserve a chance at life (why I'm pro life) and a second or third chance if they mess up unless…
• All people have souls, all people have some good (with an exception) and all people matter. We're all equal.our lives all are equally as special, baby's and little peoples lives are more valuable and a doctor or someone who's life benifits other is more important. If there is a…

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• But it is still natural since children naturally "learn" bias from those who take care of them. http://en.wikipedia.org...
• But humans are taught by those who take care of them and receive the biases of those that take care of them. And as the specie that we are (homo sapiens sapiens) we naturally raise our young and teach them. And if you decide to use the argument that there are those without…

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• A tie it is.
• I informed Airmax of the situation. I assume he'll get around to it.

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• can be life is not life, life is
• non sense

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• I really hope you realize you're supposed to be proving ghosts exist.
• Might want to put some evidence rather than that.

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• I agree that taking an opinion like "abortion is right" and backing it up with a statistic to the effect of the number of lives it has saved doesn't make it "right". But that doesn't mean that different people do not, in their own realities have senses of right and wrong.You…
• I'm not quite sure how your argument shows that people do not have different sets of right and wrong. By your vet own admission, some people believe that racism is right whereas under certain schools of thought it would be wrong. Those would be two different sets of people…

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• Sometimes the law is wrong.
• Law is there to serve justice based on truth.