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    Carmelics

    A reasoning platform. Break down any belief into clear reasons, explore both sides, and weigh the evidence honestly.

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    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
    Made withinDC&Austin
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    Home/Original/inverse
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    Inverse View

    It is not the case that The best life for human beings is a life lived in accordance with reason.

    ?Set your confidence on the premises below to see your aggregate.

    Reasons For

    2 perspectives
    Reason for 1 of 2
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    • 1.Human flourishing is irreducibly plural: no single mode of activity constitutes the uniquely best life for all persons (Berlin, Williams).
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    • 2.If flourishing admits genuine plurality, then a life centered on aesthetic creation or deep personal love may be best for some without privileging reason.
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    • 3.A claim that one kind of life is objectively best for all humans requires a false homogeneity of human nature and telos.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
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    • 1.Aristotle's own account acknowledges that the contemplative life requires leisure, health, and resources unavailable to most humans (NE X.8).
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    • 2.A conception of the best life that is structurally inaccessible to the majority of humans cannot serve as a universal normative standard.
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    • 3.Therefore, the rational-contemplative life describes an aristocratic ideal, not a genuinely human best life, as Nussbaum's capabilities approach makes explicit.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.The best life for a human being is not a matter of subjective preference.
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    • 2.A successful candidate for the best life must satisfy certain objective criteria.
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    • 3.A life lived in accordance with reason uniquely satisfies those criteria.
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    Strongest counterpoint
    Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.