Quotes About Debate

He was surrounded by peasants, on whom the teeth of his arguments could find no purchase.

The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.

The only thing worse than a knee-jerk liberal is a knee-pad conservative.

It is axiomatic that men who know little are often intolerant of a point of view that is contrary to their own. The bitterness that has been brought about by arguments on public questions is proverbial. Lovers have been parted by bitter quarrels on theories of pacificism or militarism; and when an argument upon an abstract question engages opponents they often desert the main line of arguments in order to abuse each other.

Religion enabled society to organise itself to debate goodness, just as Greek drama had once done.

Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it.

In 80% of Socrates' dialogues there was no constructive outcome. He saw his role as simply pointing out what was "wrong.

If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.

You can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

Answer a fool according to his folly.

Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Doubtful disputations.

A single fact can spoil a good argument.

Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side.

I understand there is a need for a stable and orderly transition to that leadership, but that people should give me the space to ensure that happens and that this debate is not best conducted in the pages of the Mail on Sunday.

Wine was served during the meal (rich and heavy, it was usually diluted with water), but the real drinking began once the food had been cleared away. This was the commissatio—a ceremonial drinking competition at which goblets had to be drained in a single gulp. Healths were drunk. This was the time for conversation and debate, which might last well into the evening, and was the Roman equivalent to the Greek symposium.

Political debate became polarized into bitter conflicts, with radical outsiders trying to press change on conservative insiders who, in the teeth of all the evidence, believed that all was for the best under the best of all possible constitutions.

There were three main new schools of thought: the Epicureans, the Stoics and the Sceptics. On the whole, if an Epicurean said one thing, a Stoic would say the opposite and a Sceptic would refuse to commit himself either way.

You do now have one in three people, as shown by the famous Carlton Monarchy debate poll, saying they want to get rid of the Monarchy. That was unthinkable even three, four years ago.

could imagine Akira Anno and Alain Badiou together, talking into the small hours. I'm sure it would have been a barrel of laughs.

go? We argued. I told him it was a fait accompli.

Democracy provides the space for open criticism.

Writers should provoke disagreement.

There's no question that Ben Shapiro loves to provoke college students.