Steven Brust <skzb at dreamcafe.com> writes: > At 08:15 AM 8/16/2002 -0700, Caliann the Elf wrote: > > >Emotion has no place in an intellectual debate. Remember that.:):):) > > > > Hmmm...I'm afraid that, while agreeing with your main point, I'll have > to dispute this one. I think emotion is often important in > intellectual debates--at least, to me that frequently involve passion. > Sometimes this leads to irritation, and sometimes that goes too far. > Being called back from that is a good thing. I'd say that emotion is often *involved* in intellectual debates, and that they frequently *do* involve passion -- but that this is a bad thing. Well, it's a bad thing if the emotion prevents you from seeing valid objections to your position, or leads you to treat others so as to engage *their* emotions negatively. This is your "goes too far" case I believe. If it just leads you to work hard at the argument, then I guess that's good. -- David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b at dd-b.net / New TMDA anti-spam in test John Dyer-Bennet 1915-2002 Memorial Site http://john.dyer-bennet.net Book log: http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/Ouroboros/booknotes/ New Dragaera mailing lists, see http://dragaera.info