decline of debate

[mk48@cornell.edu (Michael Miroslav Korcok)]

I call it The Lack of an Epistemological Standard.  It is closely related to ...

The Decline of Critical Thinking.
The Demise of Rationality.
The Return of Mysticism.

The front page of The New York Times this Monday examined the resurgence of 
Magic and Mysticism in our society.  From religious beliefs to 
pseudo-science to Urban Legends, I think the underlying causality is an 
inability/unwillingness to apply standards to the set of beliefs we hold.  
Besides plain lack of intelligence, it is the worst problem we face.  Of 
course "we" dislike debate - it is an activity which requires justifications 
and forces rationality, both activities we cannot, as a rule, undertake 
successfully.

My provisional suggestion, especially to DEBATE folks, is to follow/engage 
the NEWSGROUPS:

alt.atheism
sci.skeptic

I like them because there is very little tolerance of the asserted and the 
irrational - say anything here and you get a very nice debate started.

:) michael korcok :)
these opinions are the sole responsibility of CORNELL UNIVERSITY:  
the author neither presents nor represents them as his own.

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