High school debate Tactics: Argumentum ad absurdum

GreatwhiteNorth

Global Moderator
Staff member
Sound familiar ?
There's at least two persons on this forum that know what this means. I am one of them, however I do not employ it as a strategy. See if you can spot the other that utilizes it at every opportunity.

Reductio ad absurdum (Latin: "reduction to absurdity"; pl.: reductiones ad absurdum), also known as argumentum ad absurdum (Latin: argument to absurdity), is a common form of argument which seeks to demonstrate that a statement is true by showing that a false, untenable, or absurd result follows from its denial,[1] or in turn to demonstrate that a statement is false by showing that a false, untenable, or absurd result follows from its acceptance. First appearing in classical Greek philosophy (the Latin term derives from the Greek "εις άτοπον απαγωγή" or eis atopon apagoge, "reduction to the impossible", for example in Aristotle's Prior Analytics),[1] this technique has been used throughout history in both formal mathematical and philosophical reasoning, as well as informal debate.

The "absurd" conclusion of a reductio ad absurdum argument can take a range of forms:

  • Rocks have weight, otherwise we would see them floating in the air.
  • Society must have laws, otherwise there would be chaos.
  • There is no smallest positive rational number, because if there were, it could be divided by two to get a smaller one.
The first example above argues that the denial of the assertion would have a ridiculous result, against the evidence of our senses. The second argues that the denial would have an untenable result: unacceptable, unworkable or unpleasant for society. The third is a mathematical proof by contradiction, arguing that the denial of the assertion would result in a logical contradiction (there is a smallest positive rational number and yet there is a smaller one).
 

UncleReemis

Well-Known Member
My nuts weigh 10 tons.

This is false because if it were true, I would not have a nut sack to state the weight of.

Amidoinitrite?
 

Canna Sylvan

Well-Known Member
not generally by moderators, especially globals. hence why i stepped down.
Stop lying, white bread. People caught you editing posts. You even tried to do it to me once, but your ass was so high, accidentally erased it instead, then lied saying, "I tried to quote you but then I hit edit, and before I could fix it, accidentally hit delete rather than cancel."
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Now you're going to try and lie about not deleting my post and acting like you were only trying to quote it, huh white bread?
i actually made no comment about that, because you're not even remembering it right.

as a moderator, we have more buttons than the rest of you. i not only had an edit button on my posts, but yours too. and it was right next to the reply button.

i tried to reply to one of your posts, but had hit the edit button by accident and didn't realize until i tried to post. at that point, your post was irreparably changed, and so i had to delete it rather than leave a post of yours edited by me.

i wasn't the first mod it happened to, and i wasn't the last either.

now take your lies and run off like the little liar you are.
 

killemsoftly

Well-Known Member
no, but my passive-aggressiveness detector was going off the charts.
Can't you just accept his point?
I politely asked , without mentioning any names, if people could let us get back to the discussion at hand in 'Scottish Independence" earlier this eve as it had degenerated into a standard left-right debate. Typical schizoid extreme politics american style. Not all care for it. How about a little 'pax americana' if you will?
One gent was kind enough to acknowledge it . Perhaps more.
You, however, did a 'fuck-you' response in your tone not words. I didn't appreciate it. Not a bit. I'm not sure if you care. I really try not to judge and I try to be fair and listen to all. Respect 101 in the school of life.
I was young, dumb, full of cum and very disrespectful when I was young. I learned better. It was neither pretty nor pain-free.It became actually painful to me to spew my anger at people and I've stopped. I do have an occasional lapse, especially when people play games around their word and money.

I'm asking all parties involved if they could consider others enjoyment of this site. Please.

Buck, your response was uncalled for. Your not entitled to hijack a thread because you hold the moral high ground on a number of issues and are progressive in your political views. Perhaps being progressive in social interactions on this forum is also noble and worthy of your efforts.

thank you for taking this into consideration.
p.s. I agree with many of your views but not the style at times. I like you though I felt disappointed. No worries. I have thick skin. An apology is not required but is good form. I don't need one. riu might feel differently. Not a civics teacher just would appreciate a greater level of respect. Not singling you out, there are much worse offenders imho. Just thought you were better than earlier.
 

Canna Sylvan

Well-Known Member
Can't you just accept his point?
I politely asked , without mentioning any names, if people could let us get back to the discussion at hand in 'Scottish Independence" earlier this eve as it had degenerated into a standard left-right debate. Typical schizoid extreme politics american style. Not all care for it. How about a little 'pax americana' if you will?
One gent was kind enough to acknowledge it . Perhaps more.
You, however, did a 'fuck-you' response in your tone not words. I didn't appreciate it. Not a bit. I'm not sure if you care. I really try not to judge and I try to be fair and listen to all. Respect 101 in the school of life.
I was young, dumb, full of cum and very disrespectful when I was young. I learned better. It was neither pretty nor pain-free.It became actually painful to me to spew my anger at people and I've stopped. I do have an occasional lapse, especially when people play games around their word and money.

I'm asking all parties involved if they could consider others enjoyment of this site. Please.

Buck, your response was uncalled for. Your not entitled to hijack a thread because you hold the moral high ground on a number of issues and are progressive in your political views. Perhaps being progressive in social interactions on this forum is also noble and worthy of your efforts.

thank you for taking this into consideration.
p.s. I agree with many of your views but not the style at times. I like you though I felt disappointed. No worries. I have thick skin. An apology is not required but is good form. I don't need one. riu might feel differently. Not a civics teacher just would appreciate a greater level of respect. Not singling you out, there are much worse offenders imho. Just thought you were better than earlier.
He's actually a lot worse than what you think. Just look at his avatar. Yet he respects black people and cries about their plight. He's a self centered little twit. This coming from the self centered autie twit. That has to tell you something.
 

killemsoftly

Well-Known Member
CS you are a cute little bunny.
Please don't play partisan games with the like button because I mentioned Buck by name. I mentioned him by name caused he gave me the asshole and I won't let shit like that stand.

You know what I mean. You are a smart guy. but c'mon, you play your part as well. If you really like what I said maybe show me. Love to see it.
 

Canna Sylvan

Well-Known Member
You, however, did a 'fuck-you' response in your tone not words. I didn't appreciate it.

Respect 101 in the school of life.

I was young, dumb, full of cum.*

I'm asking all parties involved if they could consider others enjoyment of this site. Please.

Buck, your response was uncalled for. Your not entitled to hijack a thread because you hold the moral high ground
I liked for those reasons. If you notice I rarely like. I'm rarely partisan, just a mean vegan.

*I'd love to show you too. But I'm married to a jealous wife. Sorry, sweet cheeks.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Can't you just accept his point?
I politely asked , without mentioning any names, if people could let us get back to the discussion at hand in 'Scottish Independence" earlier this eve as it had degenerated into a standard left-right debate. Typical schizoid extreme politics american style. Not all care for it. How about a little 'pax americana' if you will?
One gent was kind enough to acknowledge it . Perhaps more.
You, however, did a 'fuck-you' response in your tone not words. I didn't appreciate it. Not a bit. I'm not sure if you care. I really try not to judge and I try to be fair and listen to all. Respect 101 in the school of life.
I was young, dumb, full of cum and very disrespectful when I was young. I learned better. It was neither pretty nor pain-free.It became actually painful to me to spew my anger at people and I've stopped. I do have an occasional lapse, especially when people play games around their word and money.

I'm asking all parties involved if they could consider others enjoyment of this site. Please.

Buck, your response was uncalled for. Your not entitled to hijack a thread because you hold the moral high ground on a number of issues and are progressive in your political views. Perhaps being progressive in social interactions on this forum is also noble and worthy of your efforts.

thank you for taking this into consideration.
p.s. I agree with many of your views but not the style at times. I like you though I felt disappointed. No worries. I have thick skin. An apology is not required but is good form. I don't need one. riu might feel differently. Not a civics teacher just would appreciate a greater level of respect. Not singling you out, there are much worse offenders imho. Just thought you were better than earlier.
i like you, so i did not mean to imply a "fuck you" attitude in the other thread. it's just that every thread devolves. all of them. if you want to keep it to the original point, or some other point that came up somewhere in the thread, ya just gotta quote what you're responding to.

canna has whipped a million and one threads into discussions of his veganism or autism, and when i used to start rawn pawl threads they were hijacked immediately into "but obama SO BAD!" threads.

i apologize for my tone in the other thread, but my point remains. we are a bunch of devolvers here.
 

Canna Sylvan

Well-Known Member
i like you, so i did not mean to imply a "fuck you" attitude in the other thread. it's just that every thread devolves. all of them. if you want to keep it to the original point, or some other point that came up somewhere in the thread, ya just gotta quote what you're responding to.

canna has whipped a million and one threads into discussions of his veganism or autism, and when i used to start rawn pawl threads they were hijacked immediately into "but obama SO BAD!" threads.

i apologize for my tone in the other thread, but my point remains. we are a bunch of devolvers here.
You use your stitch, I use mine. Why is yours better?
 
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