In our everyday lives, we are exposed to a constant flood of persuasive messages: attempts to convince us of certain positions, take particular actions, or value options in certain ways. Where the issues are important enough to us that we need to get them right, we should base our beliefs and actions on rational argument.
In contrast to ‘persuasion’ or ‘rhetoric’, rational argument is about reasons that genuinely support the positions or claims at issue. As a result, rational argument is aimed at maximizing the accuracy of our beliefs, not at simply convincing others.
This site critiques articles, opinion pieces and debates. It provides analyses that look beneath the surface and evaluate the actual quality of the arguments presented.