Question

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Is this a valid usage of the reduction?

The topic is about whether it is a “good” thing to procreate. There are many reasons one can conjure up to say it’s good or at least permissible to create human beings, but there are some arguments that seem, to me at least, valid? In a sense that they don’t outright commit any fallacies. So I was wondering if such arguments like the one I’m about to mention do commit fallacies or perhaps reasoning errors? My failure to spot any possible fallacies is the reason why I resorted to using reductio.

Premise 1: I want to experience what it is like to raise my own child 

Conclusion: Therefore, I will try and bring my child into existence.

The reductio would be something like this: I want to experience what it is like to hurt another human being, therefore I will hurt a human being. 


asked on Monday, Feb 20, 2023 06:09:02 AM by

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Bo Bennett, PhD
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This just follows the pattern: I want to do X, so I will do X. No fallacies because there is no argument. There is no reasoning process either; it is simply a declaration of what one wants to do with the personal philosophy that one does what one wants to do.

answered on Monday, Feb 20, 2023 07:08:12 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

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Kostas Oikonomou writes:

In the author's questioin he says that the topic is "if it’s good or at least permissible to create human beings". I think the argument in question would be "I want to do X so it's good or at least permissible to do X". Which is indeed an argument, and the "hurting other people" a valid counter-argument. Is it not?

posted on Wednesday, Feb 22, 2023 07:18:16 AM
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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:
[To Kostas Oikonomou]

I would agree that if someone were to even just claim I want to do something therefore I will, that if that something isn't outlandish, then an outlandish reductio can be used to hammer home the point that simply wanting to do something isn't justification for doing it. I went off the clear premise presented "I want to experience what it is like to raise my own child" - if the argument were more along the lines of what you wrote, then we are dealing with an argument.

[ login to reply ] posted on Wednesday, Feb 22, 2023 08:29:38 AM