czahar

I disagree with this. If ideas exist, and Harry Potter is an idea, then Harry Potter exists. He certainly does not exist in the way I do -- as a perso...

No, ideas certainly don't think. Thinking requires autonomy. It involves the ability to process information about the world without someone telling yo...

I agree with this. However, as unenlightened pointed out, do you think it's reasonable to say fictional characters can do things? Can it be said that ...

You meant "with absolute certainly" right? You can't be. However, absolute certainty is not a requirement for belief. Can you be absolutely certain of...

I'm asking others if they would consider her a racist. A person who uses the "prejudice + power" definition may disagree with my claim. Also, whether ...

I don't think I made any presumptions, considering I am not assuming anything. The questions are also not "merely rhetorical." For instance, the quest...

I suppose what I am confused by is in what sense can "we" be "not being." The very word "we" implies being. It implies a group of things that exist.

How so?

Good point, Tzeentch! The other problem that I see with banning hate speech is defining it in the first place. Yes, there are obvious cases -- e.g., t...

This line doesn't make sense. How could "not being" be our original form? The very fact that there is a form to talk about implies something exists an...

That doesn't look valid at all. It's just a bunch of random atomic statements linked together that do nothing to force the truth of the conclusion. Le...

If that's what you did, it makes even less sense. Picking "statements of the most vulnerable people to criticize" is not an idea. It's an action. Real...

I don't think it's a good point, though, because posing evidence to the contrary is not necessary to dismiss evidence. For example, if someone claims ...

Thank you! I don't think you know what "smarmy", "fallacy", or "deride" even mean. Picking "statements of the most vulnerable people to criticize" is ...

The first thing we've agreed on this entire argument!

I think this sums it up beautifully, Judoka. While it may be appropriate to believe people's lived experiences when they're making claims about, say, ...

As "lived experience" was defined in the OP as "the first-hand accounts and impressions of living as a member of a minority or oppressed group" there ...

Absolutely. Questioning the lived experience of marginalized groups doesn't perpetuate a low status; it gives them the status that all beings should b...

Yes, they are. If by "evidence," you mean "support for a claim" then analogies are certainly evidence. They're frequently used in inductive reasoning.

So, you're saying that by continuing to question the lived experiences of marginalized people, I'm perpetuating the low status of their testimony and ...

Okay. How about an analogy. If I told you that a relative of yours robbed me last night, would you question my claim? If yes, then you can accept that...

It depends on the information that person is reporting. If someone simply reports on their inner experiences -- e.g., their thoughts and feelings -- i...

Oh, absolutely. I would never suggest that we simply dismiss someone's lived experience outright. I'm just saying that it's not above criticism. That ...

I agree completely. The spirit of inciting violence, to the best of my knowledge, does stand.

Just to be clear, I never intended to deny there were laws in the US against inciting violence with speech. I was simply pointing out that the quote a...

It’s meaningless. It makes an assumption that there is a difference between “natural” and “manmade” as if humans and human actions are outside of “nat...

I made a post, but for some reason it is not showing up. Your line about “fire in a movie theater” does not come from the First Amendment, was never b...

I wouldn't recommend using that example, as it was 1) from 1919, well after the First Amendment was written; 2) never binding law; and 3) overturned. ...

Let's talk about this part for now. We can move on to the succeeding paragraphs if necessary. First, how exactly are you defining "traditional Christi...

These are some strong points. I didn't see the citation you're referring to, though. Was it further in the article? A possible response to your argume...

Do you think stereotypes or expectations about the way people of different races should act would fall under the category of "roles"?

Where you ever on Online Debate Network? As far as your argument goes, I would take a step further and say that even hindsight can never tell if the b...

On a social scale, free will allows us to blame others for their actions. When a person chooses "the worst option," the belief in free will allows us ...

I'm afraid I don't see how this would affect the statements "I am pregnant" or "I am not pregnant." What does it matter if woman said she was pregnant...

I'm not quite understanding how this makes the statement violent. Even if everything you said about believing in distinctions and justifying responses...

Going by this definition, putting up a stop sign could be considered an act of violence. After all, stop signs involve the use of power (i.e., from th...

Why do you feel that way? Would it be violence to tell a white woman who thinks she's black that she's not black?

I am not sure what you mean by "dramatic language" here. Do you mean "exaggerated language"? I am also not sure if the high rate of transphobic murder...

You seem to contradict yourself here. You state the "Nazis were the legitimate government of Germany" (which I agree with if we define "legitimate" as...

I disagree. In a democratic society, government violence is done with the majority support of the public. We vote for presidents to execute the laws (...

What do you mean by "legitimate" here? Dictionary.com defines the word as "according to law; lawful." It also says it is being "in accordance with est...

Fair point. I try to veer on the side of formalism in order to avoid posting a sloppy argument, but perhaps I went overboard on that last one. These a...

There are plenty of ways. He could have reported it stolen and then died or someone else reported it stolen for him. But I don't think that's relevant...

So, if I were caught with this stereo and the police took it away from me, you wouldn't support that? Assume that the person I had taken it from has d...

Interestingly, I've been reading Saul Smilansky, who argues that it can actually be better to believe in something untrue than believe the truth. Smil...

Interesting that you mentioned that. I just discovered existentialism recently, and I feel it is the philosophical school (if it can be called a schoo...

Not quite sure how I am "looking for excuses." Can you elaborate?

Just noticed my rookie grammar mistake: confusing "your" with "you're." Fixed.

We certainly have to know certain truths for the sake of our survival. I good example to illustrate this point is the anti-vaccination movement. If en...

If that is your definition of "work," then I don't necessarily see work as a bad thing. Sure, some people can be obsessed with finding pleasure that i...