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Full Idea
We encourage students to be concerned with whether an argument is valid or not, and we don't encourage them much to consider the question of whether the argument is interesting or not.
Gist of Idea
We overvalue whether arguments are valid, and undervalue whether they are interesting
Source
Ray Monk (Interview with Baggini and Stangroom [2001], p.16)
Book Ref
Baggini,J/Stangroom,J: 'New British Philosophy' [Routledge 2002], p.16
A Reaction
What do you make of arguments which are very interesting, but (unfortunately) totally invalid? That said, this is a nice comment. A philosopher cannot contemplate too long or too deeply on the question of what is really 'interesting'.
7535 | If all beliefs are propositional, then belief and judgement are the same thing [Monk] |
6850 | Wittgenstein pared his life down in his search for decency [Monk] |
6851 | We overvalue whether arguments are valid, and undervalue whether they are interesting [Monk] |