Lucas Blogs About Give Them An Argument
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| Pretty sure something is getting DESTROYED with FACTS and LOGIC on this cover. |
Well, the deal with Give Them an Argument: Logic for the Left is that it's a pamphlet by Rutgers University Philosophy professor Ben Burgis.
And the deal of said pamphlet is . . .
That philosophy and logic should not be thought of as primarily tools of the political Right. You see, an extremely online person might be aware of a certain political commentator (seen here demonstrating his ignorance of the adversarial interview technique and his interlocutor's political leanings) who proclaims that, "Facts don't care about your feelings." A statement which, while true, tells you more about the speaker (it's Ben Shapiro, I don't know why I didn't just say his name outright, there's a cartoon of him being shushed by David Hume on the cover) than anything else. Less online people are probably at least tangentially aware of Objectivism, a rationalist, materialist philosophy established by Ayn Rand in in opposition to the authoritarian Communist regime in the Soviet Union. Objectivism claims to be based entirely upon reason and logic but also requires you to accept nonstandard definitions of words like "greed" and "altruism."
I suspect that an Objectivist might object to that representation.
Probably. The larger point is that figures like Ben Shapiro and Ayn Rand would have you believe that right-leaning political beliefs are based on sound, logical principles while left-leaning politics are all wishy-washy feelings with no basis in objective reality. Give Them an Argument examines common right-wing political arguments to demonstrate the weaknesses in them and show people on the Left how to construct stronger counter-arguments to these positions. It also challenges examples of fallacious reasoning to show where arguments go wrong.
Like one of those obnoxious guys who points out logical fallacies?
No, because Burgis also takes the effort to point out that there's a difference between making a valid argument and being correct. Just because you've made an invalid argument doesn't mean you need to abandon your principles. You can use that knowledge to construct stronger arguments for your beliefs.
Those beliefs being?
In my case?
In your case, yes.
Well, perhaps not as left-leaning as Ben Burgis, but definitely far enough to the left that I found out about this book from YouTube channels debunking reactionary internet trolls.
The kind of trolls who are more interested in appearing to win arguments to impress their followers than in actually persuading viewers of their correctness.
I mean, given that I found the pamphlet through my own bias-confirming YouTube habits maybe it would be a bit hypocritical to make that statement.
So, would you say that the book is worth picking up even if it doesn't confirm your bias?
Well, that would depend on two things, one of which is more in the spirit of the book than the other: 1) how much you already know about logic, philosophy, argumentation, etc, and B) whether you think $17 is too high an asking price for a pamphlet.
Let's tackle the first one. How much do you know about philosophy?
Enough to be glib about it, but I've never actually taken a philosophy class—unless you count reading Sophie's World in English II Honors in high school.
Nobody counts that.
All right. And I did read some philosophy in college.
Who didn't?
The point is that I've never taken any class offered by a college philosophy department. The kind where you learn about reasoning and all of that at a fundamental level. And that's what the book mostly serves to do. It introduces the reader to basic concepts in logic in order to help spur their interest in the subject. It does so specifically through the lens of left-wing politics (there is more than one syllogism involving the expropriation of the means of production), but at its core, Give Them an Argument wants to help the reader better understand what makes arguments strong and valid. It largely succeeds at that level. Burgis clearly has a strong understanding of the topic and is able to write about it with clarity (as one would hope a professor could). People to Burgis's right might find the author's politics to be a distraction (although, I'd be surprised if they even bothered reading a book subtitled Logic for the Left).
You never know.
I suppose not.
So is it worth the $17?
Well, I enjoyed it, and it is printed on the kind of heavy, high-quality paper stock I remember from academic texts and university presses. So as an object sure, I do think that the price is bit steep for what amounts to a pamphlet, particularly one that is meant to be easily accessible to most readers.
Well, then what's the verdict, comrade?
Look, you know yourself. Does this sound like something you'd like to read? Maybe see if it's at your local library, or borrow it from your spendthrift friend. Or buy it, you have nothing to lose but your seventeen bucks.
Bit of an obvious joke to end on.
I know, the only think more hackneyed than that would be if I hung a lampshade on it.
That would be just insufferable.
I know, right. But maybe I could redeem myself by hanging a lampshade on the lampshade.
That's a bridge too far.
We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.
Ugh!
Give Them an Argument: Logic for the Left by Ben Burgis, Zero Books trade paperback edition, 2019, 111 pages, pairs well with late night bull sessions and expropriating the means of production
Links:
Ben Burgis doesn't seem to have much of an online presence, aside from appearing on Leftist YouTube Channels to debunk conservative talking points. Here's one of those, if you're into that kinda thing.
He's also got his own series of videos on the Zero Books YouTube Channel. Again, if you're into that kinda thing.
And the deal of said pamphlet is . . .
That philosophy and logic should not be thought of as primarily tools of the political Right. You see, an extremely online person might be aware of a certain political commentator (seen here demonstrating his ignorance of the adversarial interview technique and his interlocutor's political leanings) who proclaims that, "Facts don't care about your feelings." A statement which, while true, tells you more about the speaker (it's Ben Shapiro, I don't know why I didn't just say his name outright, there's a cartoon of him being shushed by David Hume on the cover) than anything else. Less online people are probably at least tangentially aware of Objectivism, a rationalist, materialist philosophy established by Ayn Rand in in opposition to the authoritarian Communist regime in the Soviet Union. Objectivism claims to be based entirely upon reason and logic but also requires you to accept nonstandard definitions of words like "greed" and "altruism."
I suspect that an Objectivist might object to that representation.
Probably. The larger point is that figures like Ben Shapiro and Ayn Rand would have you believe that right-leaning political beliefs are based on sound, logical principles while left-leaning politics are all wishy-washy feelings with no basis in objective reality. Give Them an Argument examines common right-wing political arguments to demonstrate the weaknesses in them and show people on the Left how to construct stronger counter-arguments to these positions. It also challenges examples of fallacious reasoning to show where arguments go wrong.
Like one of those obnoxious guys who points out logical fallacies?
No, because Burgis also takes the effort to point out that there's a difference between making a valid argument and being correct. Just because you've made an invalid argument doesn't mean you need to abandon your principles. You can use that knowledge to construct stronger arguments for your beliefs.
Those beliefs being?
In my case?
In your case, yes.
Well, perhaps not as left-leaning as Ben Burgis, but definitely far enough to the left that I found out about this book from YouTube channels debunking reactionary internet trolls.
The kind of trolls who are more interested in appearing to win arguments to impress their followers than in actually persuading viewers of their correctness.
I mean, given that I found the pamphlet through my own bias-confirming YouTube habits maybe it would be a bit hypocritical to make that statement.
So, would you say that the book is worth picking up even if it doesn't confirm your bias?
Well, that would depend on two things, one of which is more in the spirit of the book than the other: 1) how much you already know about logic, philosophy, argumentation, etc, and B) whether you think $17 is too high an asking price for a pamphlet.
Let's tackle the first one. How much do you know about philosophy?
Enough to be glib about it, but I've never actually taken a philosophy class—unless you count reading Sophie's World in English II Honors in high school.
Nobody counts that.
All right. And I did read some philosophy in college.
Who didn't?
The point is that I've never taken any class offered by a college philosophy department. The kind where you learn about reasoning and all of that at a fundamental level. And that's what the book mostly serves to do. It introduces the reader to basic concepts in logic in order to help spur their interest in the subject. It does so specifically through the lens of left-wing politics (there is more than one syllogism involving the expropriation of the means of production), but at its core, Give Them an Argument wants to help the reader better understand what makes arguments strong and valid. It largely succeeds at that level. Burgis clearly has a strong understanding of the topic and is able to write about it with clarity (as one would hope a professor could). People to Burgis's right might find the author's politics to be a distraction (although, I'd be surprised if they even bothered reading a book subtitled Logic for the Left).
You never know.
I suppose not.
So is it worth the $17?
Well, I enjoyed it, and it is printed on the kind of heavy, high-quality paper stock I remember from academic texts and university presses. So as an object sure, I do think that the price is bit steep for what amounts to a pamphlet, particularly one that is meant to be easily accessible to most readers.
Well, then what's the verdict, comrade?
Look, you know yourself. Does this sound like something you'd like to read? Maybe see if it's at your local library, or borrow it from your spendthrift friend. Or buy it, you have nothing to lose but your seventeen bucks.
Bit of an obvious joke to end on.
I know, the only think more hackneyed than that would be if I hung a lampshade on it.
That would be just insufferable.
I know, right. But maybe I could redeem myself by hanging a lampshade on the lampshade.
That's a bridge too far.
We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.
Ugh!
Give Them an Argument: Logic for the Left by Ben Burgis, Zero Books trade paperback edition, 2019, 111 pages, pairs well with late night bull sessions and expropriating the means of production
Links:
Ben Burgis doesn't seem to have much of an online presence, aside from appearing on Leftist YouTube Channels to debunk conservative talking points. Here's one of those, if you're into that kinda thing.
He's also got his own series of videos on the Zero Books YouTube Channel. Again, if you're into that kinda thing.
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