In politics, in the courts, even on the ubiquitous TV talk shows, it is good form. to pick an intellectual fight. People attach each other--hurl insults, even-and it counts as logical argument. I cannot understand it.
【1】It seems that our society favors a kind of ritualized aggression. Everywhere you look, in newspapers and on television, issues are presented using the terminology of war and conflict. We hear of battles duels (决斗) and disputes. We see things in terms of winners and losers, victors and victims.
【2】The problem is society's unquestioning belief in the advantages of the debate as a way of solving disagreements, even proving right from wrong. Our brainwashing begins early at school, When the brightest pupils are co-opted onto the debating system. They get there because they can think up a good argument go support their case. once on the debate team, they learn that they earn bonus points for the skill with which they verbally attack, or insult, the opposing team.【3】They win if they can successfully convince the audience that they are right, even if the case they are arguing is clearly non-sensual. They do this by proving themselves to be stronger, brighter, more outrageous, even.
The training in this adversarial approach continues at out tertiary institutions. The standard way to present an academic paper, for instance, is to take up an opposing argument to something expressed by another academic. The paper must set out to prove the other person wrong. This is not at all the same thing as reading the original paper with an open mind and discovering that you disagree with it.
The reverence for the adversarial approach spills over into all areas of life. Instead of answering their critics, politicians learn to sidestep negative comments and turn the point around to an attack on accusers. Defense lawyers argue the case for their s when they suspect they may be guilty. And ordinary people use the came tactics--just listen to your ager next time you pull him up for coming home late. You can be sure a stream of abuse will flow about your own time-keeping, your irritating habits, your history of bad parenting.