Mastering the art of constructive disagreement

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Mastering the art of constructive disagreement

BY? Yonason Goldson - The Ethics Ninja

Is there anything more beautiful than a syllogism—a logical argument that derives novel insights from known facts or principles??Except, when it’s not.?For all its elegance and utility, logic transmogrifies into a weapon of destruction when used to manipulate facts in defense of predetermined outcomes.

Psychologically, we all need to be on guard against our natural proclivity toward rationalization.?Every human being has biases and, from the moment we begin evaluating data and constructing arguments, our preconceptions steer us toward the destination at which our unconscious minds have already arrived.?It matters little how grossly we need to distort the evidence to get where our impulses and inclinations want us to go.

In its most extreme form, logical absurdity masquerades as reason. When it does, it produces this addition to the ethical lexicon:

Casuistry?(cas·u·ist·ry/?KAZH-ew-iss-tree)?

Clever but unsound reasoning claiming to resolve moral problems by applying theoretical rules to new situations.

Derived from the Latin noun?casus, meaning “case,” the word originally referred to a “case of conscience.” From its earliest origins, it was used to unmask deceptive moralizing that attempts to exploit rational argument, defend untenable conclusions, and validate intellectual bias.

The proliferation of casuistry is all around us—on social media, in business strategies, and in what passes for political debate.?Once we’ve concluded that we already know the answers to our questions, we enter the world of decision-based facts, heedless of the obvious truism that successful outcomes rest on a foundation of fact-based decisions.

This is why we need trusted advisors willing to tell us the hard truths we don’t want to hear.??

Sometimes, all it takes is a look of incredulity on the face of a wise friend to show us the folly of our own faulty reasoning.?A simple reality check can inspire us to compose a symphony of clear thinking and avoid the tragicomic fallacies that might well be described as intellectual?kazoo-istry.

TRY A SIMPLE EXERCISE

Here’s a simple exercise to test your own syllogistic objectivity. Take a current topic from the headlines, something that really inflames your passions. Now write a paragraph or two defending the position?opposite?to your own. If you can’t do it, seek out a thoughtful acquaintance who holds that opinion and ask for their exposition. Then attempt to restate their defense back to them until they are satisfied you have accurately represented their position.

The benefits of this discipline will serve you in business, in family, and in society. Once adversaries discover you understand them, they will be far more inclined to try to understand you.?And the effort to achieve mutual understanding will save you both from the chaotic thinking of self-validated arguments.

This is quite different from agreeing to disagree, which is nothing more than a polite way of saying, “I’ve made up my mind you’re wrong, but I’m tired of arguing.”?Often, we tire of arguing because we’ve begun to suspect—perhaps subconsciously—that our arguments are not convincing.?It’s safer to call a truce than risk having our positions exposed as indefensible.

APPROACH WITH TACT

But is that really what you want??Wouldn’t you rather discover that you’re wrong so you can start being right??I’ve never forgotten the words of my college professor Max Byrd, who remarked, “I don’t understand people who complain about being?disillusioned. I would be grateful for the chance to be relieved of my illusions.”

Exposing casuistry, however, is dangerous business. No one enjoys being embarrassed by having their arguments exposed as imbecilic or absurd.?That’s why addressing convoluted reasoning from others requires the soft hand of diplomacy and tact. Providing others with cover helps them relinquish their positions gracefully while preserving their self-respect.

Study the dialogues of Socrates to see how, by gently asking questions, he led others to a place where they could recognize their own inconsistencies.?Of course, Socrates annoyed so many people that he was eventually sentenced to death.?But given today’s culture of rabid bloviating, asking civil questions in a pleasant voice might be so disarming that it encourages reciprocal collegiality.

So don’t gloat. Don’t ridicule. Don’t condescend.?Instead, celebrate that we’ve all arrived, together, a little closer to the truth. When we do, we exchange casuistry for the kind of constructive disagreement that yields clear thinking, fresh insights, and informed consensus.?Even if we don’t agree on everything, we can still have confidence in the process that brings us to our respective conclusions and allows us to respect one another along the way.

Yonason Goldson?works with business leaders to build a culture of ethics that earns trust, sparks initiative, and limits liability.

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