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Keep Arguing
When my friend was growing up, she wished her parents would stop arguing. They never did, and she began wishing they’d separate. Nobody likes arguments. But they don’t always have to be so bad. In fact, if you argue properly, arguments are fantastic. They make for a much better life, and by extension, a much better world.
The idea that arguing is wonderful seems strange to modern, Western ears. But that would not be the case if we had a better appreciation of philosophy. “Oh God” I hear you exclaim, “not philosophy!” But bear with me. Properly applied philosophy can make for a much better life, through a much better understanding of life.
When we hear the word argument, we tend to think of flared tempers and confrontations, hurt feelings, relationship breakdowns, and even escalation to violence. Seen like this, it’s easy to understand why arguments are something most people want to avoid altogether. But unless we live as hermits, arguments are an inevitable part of life. And as with all parts of life, we can understand arguments better with philosophy.
The thing that makes arguments seem so universally bad is a limited view of them. Several centuries before Christ, Indian philosophers classified arguments into different categories, distinguished by the players' motivations. Their works were built upon by Arab philosophers, and then by the Greek philosophers more famous…
