On Thu, 3 Dec 2009, SA wrote:
>> When no fundamental assumptions are shared, debate is pointless.
>
> In other words, you only want to talk to people who agree with you.
To be fair, you've slipped in an illegitimate step there. Carrol is saying its pointless if you share *no* fundamental assumptions. People who agree with you are people who share *all* fundamental assumptions (as they pertain to the issue at hand.)
In between is where serious argument occurs: where you share some fundamental assumptions and argue about the one or two you don't.
Serious argument being where you are both actually considering switching positions if the other person can convince you. And where it matters to you to be right. I think there is a certain sense in which that only happens between people on the same side.
Michael