The strongest argument is a mathematical or logical proof. It’s easy to see why a mathematical proof of the Riemann hypothesis beats a lot of (indeed, all) weak intuitive arguments about what the answer might be.
But this is only applicable for well-defined problems. Insofar as philosophy is tackling such problems, I would also expect a single strong argument to beat many weak arguments.
Part of the goal for the ill-defined problems we face on a daily basis is not to settle the question, but to refine it into a well-defined question that has a strong, single argument. Perhaps, then, the reason why one strong argument beats many arguments is that questions for which there’s a strategy for making a strong argument are most influential and compelling to us as a society. “What’s the meaning of life?” Only weak arguments are available, so it’s rare for people to seriously try and answer this question in a conclusive manner. “Can my e-commerce startup grow into a trillion-dollar company?” If the answer is “yes,” then there’s a single, strong argument that proves it: success. People seem attracted to these sorts of questions.
The strongest argument is a mathematical or logical proof. It’s easy to see why a mathematical proof of the Riemann hypothesis beats a lot of (indeed, all) weak intuitive arguments about what the answer might be.
But this is only applicable for well-defined problems. Insofar as philosophy is tackling such problems, I would also expect a single strong argument to beat many weak arguments.
Part of the goal for the ill-defined problems we face on a daily basis is not to settle the question, but to refine it into a well-defined question that has a strong, single argument. Perhaps, then, the reason why one strong argument beats many arguments is that questions for which there’s a strategy for making a strong argument are most influential and compelling to us as a society. “What’s the meaning of life?” Only weak arguments are available, so it’s rare for people to seriously try and answer this question in a conclusive manner. “Can my e-commerce startup grow into a trillion-dollar company?” If the answer is “yes,” then there’s a single, strong argument that proves it: success. People seem attracted to these sorts of questions.