Quote Originally Posted by rach View Post
I disagree with you on that. I think sometimes it might be bad communication but not always.

I've had friendly discussions with people, and have known by the end of a frank and complete discussion, that we will not agree on that particular topic. It might be due to personal experiences or political leanings, but whatever the reason we simply have a different mindset, and therefore opposing views on the subject in hand. So the discussion is ultimately circular not due to poor communication, but due to strong yet differing opinions.

I'm not saying the discussion isn't an interesting one, and it certainly opens people's eyes to new opinions, and information, but if the same people are in the discussion, it will end up back where it started.
Unsurprisingly, I don't agree.

Constructive discussions always work backwards toward the premises and argue their relevance and value and then argue about what can be deduced from the mutually agreed upon premises. Or it should be.

People who use ideological or faith based leanings as an excuse not to try their premises or assumptions are just plain lazy and shouldn't get into discussions at all. But I don't think that's the case here at all. All it needs is two parties with differing opinions to keep a discussion going in a constructive manner. No matter of how many other people might be participating.

Circular reasoning is always down to laziness. Distilled circular reasoning can be summed up as, "it is because it is". That is what happens when people haven't attacked their own arguments enough before reaching a conclusion, and therefore do not know why they believe the way they do. And on top of that aren't willing to do it once it's been revealed.

All arguments are by its nature a cooperative venture. No matter how heated the discussion might get. Everybody taking part, do so because they value the opinions of the "opponent". I think it is a beautiful act. Often frustrating and annoying. But that's the price to pay for knowledge. Even if you keep your own opinion it can still be valuable since your opinion now has been tested, and your faith in it is strengthened. Distilling which specific premises we might disagree on is also valuable information.