Only semi related, but I really dislike the pretend argument rhetorical format. Public arguments are mostly competitive whether you like it or not. Whatever pedagogical benefits there are to explaining ideas as fake dialogue, your “simulations” of the actual words of real people you disagree with are immensely distracting. Throughout this post my attention is constantly interrupted by how socially awkward it is to write and publish an imaginary script in which you dunk on your intellectual opponents.
Only semi related, but I really dislike the pretend argument rhetorical format. Public arguments are mostly competitive whether you like it or not. Whatever pedagogical benefits there are to explaining ideas as fake dialogue, your “simulations” of the actual words of real people you disagree with are immensely distracting. Throughout this post my attention is constantly interrupted by how socially awkward it is to write and publish an imaginary script in which you dunk on your intellectual opponents.