The hottest Debate Substack posts right now

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What a COVID-19 Food Fight Says About Scientific Discourse

The Honest Broker Newsletter β€’ 1089 implied HN points β€’ 18 Mar 24
πŸ”¬ Science Discourse Partisanship Debate Journalism COVID-19
  1. One strategy in science partisanship is to associate opponents with unpopular political figures to discredit their views without engaging with the substance.
  2. Another strategy is to argue that certain debates are harmful to scientific goals, leading to avoiding critique that might impact funding or research opportunities.
  3. Partisanship in science can also involve associating legitimate arguments with totally unacceptable views, like labeling individuals with terms that discredit their opinions.

Debating Bentham's Labradoodle

Going Awol β€’ 139 implied HN points β€’ 07 May 24
β›ͺ Faith & Spirituality Christianity Hinduism Religions Debate
  1. The debate discussed the evidence for Hinduism versus Christianity, with different perspectives on which religion is more probable.
  2. Various topics were explored in the discussion, such as an anthropic argument for Henotheism, resurrection evidence, and prior probability of incarnation.
  3. Both parties agreed on the concerning evidence: reincarnation for Christianity and resurrection for Hinduism.

Is Parliament capable of debating assisted dying?

The Path Not Taken β€’ 242 implied HN points β€’ 29 Nov 24
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Legislation Debate Ethics Policy Health
  1. Parliament is debating a bill on assisted dying, which shows that the issue is gaining traction but still has a long way to go before becoming law.
  2. Many MPs tend to rely on emotional stories and anecdotes, rather than focusing on facts and balanced reasoning during debates.
  3. The quality of parliamentary debates seems to be declining, with a shift towards more emotional discussions instead of analytical thinking.

Agnes Callard's Slavery Poll

Going Awol β€’ 239 implied HN points β€’ 27 Feb 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Ethics Debate Personal Identity
  1. Agnes Callard faced backlash for asking if it's better to suffer blamelessly than to live a nice life doing something morally horrifying.
  2. Critics questioned the timing and format of Callard's poll on slavery, suggesting it was inappropriate or limiting choices.
  3. Ayn Rand supporters like Gregory Salmieri criticized Callard's hypothetical scenario for being disconnected from actionable situations.
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The key takeaway from MIT’s Great Climate Policy Debate

Heterodox STEM β€’ 163 implied HN points β€’ 22 Dec 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Debate Nuclear power Sustainability Energy
  1. All four experts agreed that stopping nuclear energy development after the Three Mile Island accident was a big mistake. If nuclear power had been embraced earlier, we might have made better progress on reducing carbon emissions.
  2. There's a strong belief that we can still fully commit to nuclear energy now because the technology is safe and effective. The main barriers are complex regulations and legal challenges that make it hard to move forward.
  3. The panel recognized that achieving NetZero carbon emissions soon will be very difficult. It might be time for people with differing views on climate to collaborate and focus on making nuclear energy more widely used.

Don't Cancel Zizek (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis β€’ 738 implied HN points β€’ 15 Jan 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Criticism Ideology Ethics Debate Thought
  1. The distinction between 'analytic' and 'continental' philosophy, with analytic focused on clarity and precision, while continental is more diverse and broader in scope.
  2. Slavoj Ε½iΕΎek's work blends insights from various fields like Lacanian psychology, Hegelian idealism, and Marxist materialism, making him a unique and thought-provoking thinker.
  3. Critics of Ε½iΕΎek often take his provocative statements out of context, leading to misunderstandings of his views, but his work remains engaging and intellectually stimulating.

Peter Hitchens vs. Christopher Hitchens: Can Civilization Survive Without God?

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis β€’ 159 implied HN points β€’ 17 Mar 24
β›ͺ Faith & Spirituality Debate God Civilization
  1. This post discusses a debate between Peter Hitchens and Christopher Hitchens about whether civilization can survive without belief in God.
  2. The Hitchens brothers engaged in a debate on the link between "civilization" and faith in God, with a focus on their last discussion in 2010.
  3. The dialogue took place before Christopher Hitchens passed away in 2011, shedding light on their contrasting views on the role of religion in civilization.

Electrons, Alternate Universes, and the Ontological Commitments of Physics: A Handy Guide to Hossenfelder vs. Goff

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis β€’ 319 implied HN points β€’ 03 Dec 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Physics Ontology Debate Twitter Ethics
  1. Philosopher Philip Goff and physicist Sabine Hossenfelder concluded their Twitter debate on electrons and alternate universes.
  2. The discussion highlights the intersection of philosophy and physics in understanding ontological commitments.
  3. The resolution between Goff and Hossenfelder signifies an end to the Great Electron Twitter War of 2023.

The Long Shadow of Nakba – Part 2

Heterodox STEM β€’ 170 implied HN points β€’ 24 Nov 24
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Middle East Conflict Political Identity Debate
  1. The Nakba has affected scientific communities and education by promoting self-censorship and political influences, which can hinder rational debate and progress.
  2. The main issue for Palestinians in achieving statehood lies in their insistence on Israel losing its state, rather than just fighting for their own identity and rights.
  3. Many phrases related to the conflict carry different meanings than they seem to suggest, often masking deeper political agendas or historical inaccuracies.

Wright and Wrong Ways to Debate

In My Tribe β€’ 683 implied HN points β€’ 01 Feb 24
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Debate
  1. Bob's conduct in debates should focus on understanding the other side's motives, not assuming the worst.
  2. Meaningful debates involve explaining and understanding different viewpoints without resorting to personal attacks or asymmetric insights.
  3. Maintain focus on the main issue of the debate and avoid veering off into unrelated topics for a productive discussion.

Open Borders and Adverse Selection: A Reply to Khale

Bet On It β€’ 100 implied HN points β€’ 06 Jan 25
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Immigration Policy Debate Economics Society
  1. Open borders could be beneficial as immigrants often see a big increase in their wages, which can also help the economy overall.
  2. The vetting system for immigrants doesn't seem very effective, as it may not select for the best candidates.
  3. Concerns about adverse selection are not as strong when looking at actual immigration data, which shows that legal immigrants often bring significant economic gains.

Fine, I'll run a regression analysis. But it won't make you happy.

Silver Bulletin β€’ 679 implied HN points β€’ 01 Oct 23
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics COVID-19 Statistics Vaccination Debate Partisanship
  1. State partisanship and COVID vaccination rates strongly predict COVID death rates even after considering age.
  2. Simplicity in statistical analysis can help in avoiding overfitting models and focusing on robust, true facts.
  3. Vaccination rates are more predictive of COVID death rates than state partisanship once age is controlled for.

Do You Have Evidence?

Disaffected Newsletter β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 26 Sep 24
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Debate Manipulation Evidence Communication Critique
  1. Some people don't really care about real evidence; they're just trying to challenge you for show. It's more about their ego than the truth.
  2. When someone demands proof for something obvious, it's usually a tactic to dismiss your point instead of engaging in a real discussion.
  3. Instead of giving in to their demands for evidence, consider ignoring them or showing others how they manipulate arguments. This helps everyone stay aware of these tactics.

Mark Solar and I Debate Spiritual vs Materialistic Theories of Science

Matt Ehret's Insights β€’ 157 implied HN points β€’ 07 Feb 24
β›ͺ Faith & Spirituality Debate Science Spirituality Materialism
  1. Mark Solar and Matthew Ehret debated spiritual vs materialistic theories of science
  2. They discussed whether modern science allows for a spiritual substrate guiding everything
  3. The debate also touched on the existence of meaning in the universe and the nature of mind in relation to the universe

Two British events

The Abbey of Misrule β€’ 135 implied HN points β€’ 03 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Events Religion Spirituality Debate Tradition
  1. There's a two-day conference on 'post-liberalism' in Cambridge on December 13th and 14th. Many interesting speakers will be there.
  2. On December 16th, there's an event in London discussing how the West is influenced by 'pseudo-religion'. It will include debates on various spiritual topics.
  3. Expect more content like essays and stories coming soon, as things will calm down after these events.

The Evil God Challenge

Bentham's Newsletter β€’ 117 implied HN points β€’ 31 Jan 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Debate Theism Evil God
  1. There are two versions of the Evil God Challenge, one questioning a good God's likelihood and another flipping the Problem of Evil.
  2. The Evil God Challenge presents compelling arguments, but there are counterarguments to consider for theism.
  3. The idea of an Evil God is intuitively less believable, and there are logical reasons why a Good God is more plausible.

My Dog Isn't An Atheist (But I Am): What Christopher Hitchens Should Have Said to William Lane Craig

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis β€’ 279 implied HN points β€’ 12 Mar 23
β›ͺ Faith & Spirituality Debate Atheism Philosophy
  1. The post discusses missed opportunities in a debate between Christopher Hitchens and William Lane Craig regarding the existence of God.
  2. There will be a podcast discussing the essay with Stefan Bertram-Lee on This is Revolution.
  3. To access the full post, subscriptions are required for paid subscribers.

God, Michael Huemer, and String Theory

Bentham's Newsletter β€’ 98 implied HN points β€’ 11 Feb 24
β›ͺ Faith & Spirituality God Debate Philosophy Interview
  1. Mental states may not always have a necessary pairing, allowing for randomness in our thoughts and reactions to stimuli.
  2. Accepting metaphysical weirdness in scientific theories like string theory or time-bending can help explain data, just like it does for theism.
  3. The existence of multiple possible worlds and individuals is possible without imposing unexplained limits on modality, implying the presence of numerous souls.

The Borjas-Caplan Immigration Debate

Bet On It β€’ 75 implied HN points β€’ 19 Nov 24
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Immigration Debate Policy Public Opinion Ideology
  1. The debate highlights different views on immigration research. Borjas focuses on the flaws in the research rather than saying immigration is outright bad.
  2. Borjas believes that gut feelings about immigration policies are valid, even if they lead to stricter immigration rules.
  3. The author argues that Borjas has a misguided understanding of ideology, launching a critique against relying solely on instinct over informed decisions.

Many Worlds and the Fine-Tuning Argument: A Reader's Dissent

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis β€’ 179 implied HN points β€’ 13 Aug 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Religion Cosmology Debate
  1. The post discusses the debate between cosmic designer and multiverse theories regarding fine-tuning in the universe.
  2. A subscriber named Gareth Morley argues in favor of the multiverse theory in response to the author's objections.
  3. The author highlights the complexity and nuances of the Fine-Tuning Argument and its implications for atheism.

Why the homeless debate goes in circles

C.W.’s Newsletter β€’ 157 implied HN points β€’ 06 Oct 23
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Homelessness Debate Policy Public Opinion
  1. The homeless debate involves conflicting perspectives from people like Adam Mesnick and Jennifer Friedenbach.
  2. Jennifer Friedenbach advocates for more government funding to address homelessness, focusing on long-term solutions.
  3. A realistic solution to homelessness could involve expanding and improving shelter systems to provide immediate support.

Why Scholars Keep Writing Γ†sir and Vanir "Obituaries"

Norse Mythology & Germanic Lore β€’ 79 implied HN points β€’ 29 Jan 24
πŸ“š Literature Mythology Research Debate Critique Analysis
  1. Scholars are debating the meanings of the words \
  2. (guild/) and \
  3. \
  4. Scholars have different theories about the distinction between Γ†sir and Vanir, with discussions ranging from functional differences to poetic interpretations.
  5. Various scholars have delved into the debate, presenting arguments that challenge traditional views and propose new ways of understanding Norse mythology.