Of course, this may very well be true, but a priori at least I would not so readily dismiss people who spend most of their time doing philosophy rather than outsiders having a different opinion about the emperor’s wardrobe.
I don’t know if it’s up to going up against professionals on their home ground, but I have found LessWrong to be excellent training for philosophical street-fighting. Arguing on the Internet, arguing with theists, that sort of thing. “C’MON IF YOU THINK YER ROBUST ENOUGH.”
Interesting that that’s your experience. I found the high quality of discussion on LW made me less able to enjoy arguing with theists. Once I learned what conversation between two relatively sane people both willing to change their minds felt like, it was painfully obvious that my internet arguments weren’t like that.
I don’t know if it’s up to going up against professionals on their home ground, but I have found LessWrong to be excellent training for philosophical street-fighting. Arguing on the Internet, arguing with theists, that sort of thing. “C’MON IF YOU THINK YER ROBUST ENOUGH.”
Thereby contributing to the time-honored goal of ensuring that nobody on the Internet is wrong.
Or, at least, that they’re wrong much better.
Interesting that that’s your experience. I found the high quality of discussion on LW made me less able to enjoy arguing with theists. Once I learned what conversation between two relatively sane people both willing to change their minds felt like, it was painfully obvious that my internet arguments weren’t like that.