• S
    11.7k
    1. You may say whatever you like, so long as you sincerely believe it to be true, or it is witty or comical and relates to the topic or the person you're talking to. No holds barred.

    2. You should not ignore someone or be dismissive of them just because you don't like something they say. We should act like men, not like cowards. Confronting truth in all forms is part and parcel of philosophy as a noble pursuit.

    3. Always remain on point, excepting a permissible degree for sake of comedy.

    4. You should not evade the burden of justification or refuse to be reasonable when appropriate, which is almost always - setting aside some amount of permissible facetiousness - or withhold beliefs from scrutiny. If you cannot reasonably justify a belief or aren't willing to do so when confronted or challenged, then you should be explicit and honest about it.

    5. Try to foster as much as possible an awareness of your own psychological defence mechanisms and those of others. Point them out if necessary, even if this is considered taboo.

    6. Speaking of taboo, and of popular etiquette, disregard it unless it is truly of depth.

    7. Always aim to develop and apply critical thinking skills, especially the skill of identifying fallacies.

    8. Always be concise. Avoid obscure jargon where possible.

    9. Learn the difference between facetiousness and satire, and between real insults and things you just find rude or insulting.
  • Baden
    16.4k
    12. Philosophical posts go in the philosophical categories. Random vaguely sounding philosophical stuff you thought up while sugar high on deep-fried Mars bars goes in the lounge.
  • Baden
    16.4k
    Lounged.
  • S
    11.7k
    If you can't see the ethical content, then you must be blind. But you're disappointingly predictable, Baden.
  • Baden
    16.4k


    But I thought I was being witty and comical with no holds barred... :cry:
  • S
    11.7k
    Your comments are tolerable. That rule was about what you may say, not what you may do. It's your poor judgement, rash decisions, and control-freakishness as a moderator that I take issue with. Like you say, philosophical content belongs in the philosophical section, and this has obvious ethical content, and ethics is obviously a branch of philosophy, so do the right thing and move it back.

    It's my take on ethical conduct for an ideal philosophical society. You've pinned yours to the front page, so you obviously consider it of importance. Stuff like, "Tone matters".
  • Baden
    16.4k


    So now you've just edited out rules 10 and 11 where you said you were always right and never to take you seriously, and which were part of the reason I moved this to the lounge. Because I thought it wasn't... serious.

    Bad form.

    Anyway, here is the part you deleted:

    "10. Learn that I'm always right, except when I'm wrong, which is never.

    11. And finally, learn that I'm always joking, except when I'm deadly serious, which is never."

    And you wrote this:

    4. You should not evade the burden of justification or refuse to be reasonable when appropriate, which is almost always - setting aside some amount of permissible facetiousness - or withhold beliefs from scrutiny. If you cannot reasonably justify a belief or aren't willing to do so when confronted or challenged, then you should be explicit and honest about it.S
  • Baden
    16.4k
    You should know how the conversation would go given what you wrote, especially before you edited it. If you want to be serious, be serious. If you want to give the impression you're not, expect others to act on that.
  • S
    11.7k
    I considered those since deleted additions to be examples of permissible facetiousness, which is a stated exception to the rule. They obviously weren't meant to be taken literally. Why would you treat them as literal? I do think you're being unreasonable, actually. Perhaps in an attempt to prove a point, but I don't think it's working. If the point is a show of power, then well done Mr. Administrator, I salute you.

    Why must everything be black or white in your world? All or nothing? Aren't we intelligent enough to distinguish philosophical depth from facetiousness, just because the two are in close proximity?
  • Shawn
    13.3k
    Sorry S, but I rarely get your jokes. You must have a unique sense of humor or I'm just joke-deaf.
  • S
    11.7k
    By the way, did you know that Wittgenstein once said that a serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes?
  • Baden
    16.4k


    My point was to have a joke with you.

    Maybe you should learn the difference between... real insults and things you just find rude or insulting.
  • Baden
    16.4k
    And always remain on point. This discussion is supposed to be about the rules of philosophical dialogue.
  • S
    11.7k
    They amuse me, which is all that ultimately matters. If I didn't amuse myself, then I would have jumped off of a bridge long ago. There's no value in wallowing. There's profound value in literally laughing to death at a goat eating figs.
  • Baden
    16.4k


    And in between getting your knickers in a twist because someone laughs along. Well, so long and thanks for all the figs. :ok:
  • Shawn
    13.3k


    Chrysippus died from seeing a donkey eating figs. Not a goat...
  • S
    11.7k
    What do you mean? I don't know where you could've gotten that impression from. I'm always deadly serious...
  • S
    11.7k
    Same difference, though, ultimately.
  • Shawn
    13.3k


    Yeah, but everything can be a goat, not a donkey.
  • S
    11.7k
    Excepting a permissible degree for sake of comedy.
  • S
    11.7k
    A donkey is a goat, so if everything can be a goat, then everything can be a donkey.
  • Nils Loc
    1.4k
    More pig chimp content please.
  • Shawn
    13.3k


    There is no medication for sociopathy unfortunately, says the forum paranoid schizophrenic.
  • S
    11.7k
    Alright, fine, but apologising is a sign of weakness, so this will have to do. Unless you want some ecstasy. I still have some left. But you'll have to come to me. I'm not travelling all the way to Wales.
  • Baden
    16.4k


    I think I'll give it a miss. I already suspect Hanover is hiding in my garden planning an unprovoked sexual assault and I'd rather not add to the paranoia thanks very much.
  • S
    11.7k
    Tanks a-million.
  • Shawn
    13.3k
    More pig chimp content please.Nils Loc

    ✓√
  • Sir2u
    3.5k
    Rule 12.5
    Never listen to anything S says.
    Rule 12.6
    If S is in the discussion try to make as many spelling and grammar mistakes as possible without seeming to be doing it on purpose. (It drives him into Nazi mode)
    Rule 12.7
    If you are gonig to the trouble of writing rules for the forum, take the time to read them yourself and abide by them.
  • Valentinus
    1.6k
    5. Try to foster as much as possible an awareness of your own psychological defence mechanisms and those of others. Point them out if necessary, even if this is considered taboo.S

    How does this point not just become one person calling another person a moron?

    It it good to explicate contradictions. Contradictions are the meat and potatoes of what one admits or won't. But only people very close to you can pronounce judgement in the manner suggested.

    And they could be jiving too.
  • S
    11.7k
    How does this point not just become one person calling another person a moron?Valentinus

    Because psychology is about far more than intelligence. One can be far from a moron, yet driven to behave in a certain way due to some psychological mechanism. I think it's important to put your finger on this when it becomes relevant.

    It it good to explicate contradictions. Contradictions are the meat and potatoes of what one admits or won't. But only people very close to you can pronounce judgement in the manner suggested.Valentinus

    Contradictions are a matter of logic. Being conflicted is more a matter of psychology. And no, I don't agree that only people very close to you can judge these things.

    And they could be jiving too.Valentinus

    What? Apparently that's North American slang. I'm unfamiliar with it. It can mean to taunt or sneer, to talk nonsense, or be in accord, agree. I'm not sure what you meant.
  • Sir2u
    3.5k
    When someone is jiving you, they are trying to make you look stupid.
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