Vistopia
35 Lessons in Critical Thinking: Think Like a Debater
Pang Ying

Transcript

Hello, I’m Pang Ying. Welcome to the Q&A for Episode 21 of Think Like a Debater.

Q1: Give another example of ‘prove existence, not nonexistence.’ Why is a positive fact easier to prove?

A：Begin with Carl Sagan’s dragon in my garage.
I claim a fire-breathing dragon lives there. You visit and ask to see it, but find nothing.
I say: sorry, I forgot to mention it is invisible.
You propose scattering flour to reveal footprints.
I say it floats and leaves none.
You propose infrared detection.
I say it has no heat, so infrared fails.
You propose spraying it with paint.
I say it is incorporeal, so paint cannot stick.
Whatever physical test you suggest to show absence, I explain why it is inapplicable or insufficient. You cannot prove nonexistence; empirically, my claim is unfalsifiable.
Understanding this principle also requiresburden of proofandpresumption.These concepts belong together.
Now a second example.
Philosophy offersRussell’s teapot.
Russell says: suppose I claim a tiny teapot orbits between Earth and Mars, too small for telescopes. I offer no evidence, but you cannot disprove it. Does inability to prove nonexistence establish existence? Would that be fair?
By analogy, suppose I found the Chive-Dumpling Religion and proclaim a Chive-Dumpling God without evidence, while answering every empirical or physical attempt at disproof like Sagan’s dragon.
I am trying to transfer the burden to you while enjoying presumption: unless you disprove the god, it exists.
Is that a fair allocation? You would reasonably require me to prove existence; otherwise assume none. If I insist on belief, positive evidence is both easier and more appropriate than an unfalsifiable demand for disproof.
Russell’s point: when someone makes an empirically unfalsifiable claim, that claimant bears proof and suffers if evidence is insufficient. This is why assigning a negative fact’s burden in court is unfair.

Q2: Whoever departs further from common knowledge or the status quo bears more proof. On whether emotional infidelity should be condemned, initial reactions often favor condemnation, slightly benefiting the affirmative. How should the opposition respond?

Episode editor: 李兔
2022.02.10
Audio in Chinese

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Featured comments

23 comments
  • Yuyang
    2022-02-11 06:16:02

    丰县事件有些讨论到后面，你可以看到不少人认为拴人是不行的，但是又认为用“缓和一点的方式”解决底层男婚姻是可以的也必要的，说白了就是人是工具而不是目的，底层女最大的工具性就是生育功能，所以。。。极端社达的表现就是这样，都是工具，最“不值钱”的那个，不介意拿去牺牲掉。贫困地区行政力量甚至包庇默许拐卖妇女，我猜测也有考虑大量的单身贫困男人会是社会不稳定因素，即使这些人如愿生下了小孩，很多也得不到好的教育和人生机会。 法律存在的主旨之一是维护公民权利，但不是所有法条的出发点都是如此。对被拐人口买家轻判，是从执政稳定性出发，计划生育带来的适龄男比适龄女超千万，“安定团结”这个大帽子对具体的人而言，可能意味着被合法存在于阴影里。

    Yuyang Reply 170****3576 ：加强控制的时候会出现，保障民生的时候么。。。拿着绝对的权力，凭啥要求TA担负责任？

    170****3576 ：因为我是农村人，所以我理解这件事情中的乡镇行政机关就是多一事不如少一事的心态，他们既不想解救拐卖妇女伸张正义，也不是担心贫困男性对社会造成不稳，基层领导高高挂起，基层民警收点小钱，卖人一个面子，这件事就过去了。所以我觉得天朝真是神奇，有时候他能管到你的出行，知道你的轨迹，伸进你的子宫。有时候他又啥都管不了，血汗工厂，建筑工地，还有这回。眼皮子底下的事就是看不见

  • 我
    2022-02-10 13:12:31

    有被震撼到…这么多节课听下来，发现生活中无处不是辩论场。感谢阿庞提供了如何审视的角度！有一个小小的问题：机场的安检是“无罪推定”吗？是因为利大于弊所以合理的吗？

    Yuyang ：机场安检X光探查行李和人身，就是预设每个人都有可能携带危险品/武器，是有罪设定。因为911展示出，“万一”的危害甚至不仅仅是全体乘客，相比较而言，乘客费时费事这个成本就可以接受了，即使排长队的乘客自己也接受。

  • 1
    138****1781
    2024-08-24 22:06:47

    飞天意大利面神教表示韭菜饺子很赞😎

  • 框
    框
    2023-07-05 23:37:44

    大半夜的听韭菜饺子，听饿了。

  • 138****3611
    2023-01-28 21:45:33

    强！

  • h
    hey
    2022-07-04 16:11:34

    why ,why not, 问答不同，享受推动利益的对象就不同。很有启发，谢谢庞老师。

  • 邪应该是一阵风
    2022-03-19 09:25:26

    说到程序正义，不免想起去年某演员，也是疑点重重，希望能有个程序正义的结果，而不是网络定罪

  • 哈呼嘻
    2022-02-15 09:19:53

    谢谢阿庞讨论这些，我之前还一直疑惑到底应该怎么去面对网络热点

  • 心
    心菜卷
    2022-02-14 07:47:17

    医疗侵权纠纷的举证责任分配已经不再举证倒置

  • maydawnsun
    2022-02-13 12:12:26

    谢谢庞老师把热点社会议题囊括进来，思考问题时多了很多理论帮助

  • y
    ye
    2022-02-12 16:53:09

    例子举的太好了

  • 酥酪七
    2022-02-12 09:35:34

    嗨….有时候不是大家不知道举证责任在谁而是有故意引导

  • 窝
    窝在书页里摸鱼的猫
    2022-02-11 23:59:20

    阿庞讲的真好，谢谢你

  • 洁
    洁洁兔
    2022-02-11 21:49:43

    讲的太好了，关于“山村消失”那个问答的帖子今天很火爆，感觉怪怪的，又说不出来有什么问题，听你一讲就明白了。

  • 真正的哲学大师
    2022-02-11 20:17:48

    很好，真流畅