Columnist: Taking a strong position on an issue makes one likely to misinterpret or ignore additional evidence that conflicts with one's stand. βββ ββ βββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββββ ββ ββ ββββ βββ ββ ββββ β ββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ
The author concludes that if you havenβt already considered all important evidence conflicting with a position, then you should not take a strong position on an issue.
Why?
Because in order to understand an issue fully, itβs necessary to consider evidence that conflicts with oneβs position.
The contrapositive of the premise allows us to infer that if you havenβt considered evidence that conflicts with your position, then you donβt understand an issue fully.
But how, then, does that prove that if we havenβt considered all important evidence conflicting with a position, we shouldnβt take a strong position on the issue?
The author is assuming a link from βdonβt understand issue fullyβ to βshouldnβt take strong position.β In other words, the authorβs assuming that in order for it to be appropriate to take a strong position, itβs necessary to understand an issue fully. This is why the author concludes that in order for taking a strong position to be appropriate, we should consider evidence conflicting with that position.
The columnist's reasoning most closely ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ
It is reasonable ββ ββββ β ββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββββββββββ βββ βββββ βββ βββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββ ββββββββββββ
To ensure that βββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββ βββββ β ββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββ βββββββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββ
Anyone who does βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββββββ βββββ ββββββ β ββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ
One should try ββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββ βββββ βββββββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββ
It is reasonable ββ ββββ β ββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ