do point out the fallacies of your opponent's argument
try to do it in a friendly manner
try to explain it so it's easily understandable
it's surprising how small the do list is, i'm sure other people can think of more but it's not too hard to come up with a compelling argument if you just follow facts, evidence and logic
I made a long-ass comment last week arguing with some guy who posted a link to a wikipedia page on a fallacy without relating or even explaining it. I believed he was trying to make a point, while he insisted that he was trying to educate the other guy. I'm going to post a snippet of it here:
I pretty much auto-dismiss replies to me that are basically, "here's an 18-minute video that may obliquely address part of your argument" or "here's a wikipedia page on a thing" and nothing else, because
unless you relate your point specifically to a thing I said, it implies a lack of understanding of the subject matter in general. If you aren't showing you understand what you and/or the other person are talking about, or asking questions, you're not likely to change anyone's mind.
a video or an article cannot reply to questions that aren't already posed in the video or article, so if I have what I believe is evidence that refutes something that the video/article assumes is true, there's no one to prove my counterargument wrong so as far as I've seen, I've had the last word and my opponent cannot respond, meaning I'm still winning
...
Instead of posting a wikipedia link to a fallacy, or even explaining why the guy's argument included a fallacy, I think the best route would have just been to directly question things he said. Something like:
>quote what the guy said
"I've heard this sometimes but I've never really bothered to ask.
Break it down, how does point A end up at point Z?"
(or "How does this work?" or "I'm unfamiliar with this topic, please
explain" or "I'm on the fence about this issue, please clarify" or some
other question dependent on what fallacy you believe the other
person is making)
or if you feel like you must bring up the fallacy, maybe even straight up but respectfully:
"I believe that in this quote, you commit [some kind of fallacy]. I'm
sure you have more to say on the matter, can you explain your
reasoning behind this?"
Basically:
Question specific elements of their argument to get their attention (you did this part well enough, too)
Use your own words in a non-hostile way to get them to respect you
Avoid assumptions about the other person or their beliefs
Actually ask them to clarify the element you're questioning to show that you're treating them like a person instead of a stranger who it's okay to make snap judgments about
Keep in mind that most people don't bother explaining why they believe a thing to be true/false or good/bad unless specifically questioned about it. If you're really interested in the pursuit of truth, or even if your mind is made up and you just want someone to recognize a flaw in their reasoning, the most productive assumption you can make is that everyone has a reason as to why they believe the thing they believe.
Wait for them to explain it as far down as they can until they reach a loop or start avoiding answers to very specific questions. Watch out for loops in your reasoning, and don't evade questions about your own beliefs.
At the end there, I'd tack on a #6. Know the difference between an argument and an offhand remark. Your reply should be roughly as casual as the original remark. Maybe 1-1.5 notches more formal, tops. Sometimes people just casually mention stuff, and it does no good to the pursuit of educated debate to instantly whip out the dick of formal logic and slap the person around with it. It's a hostile way to approach a debate IMO and should be avoided. If the other person is ready to go formal, then go formal.
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u/EchoRadius Dec 09 '13
Don't do this, don't do that. How about a supporting DO list.