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Philosophy / Unit 1   Philosophy 0024 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Principle of Charity

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The idea

The principle of charity: before evaluating an argument, interpret it in its strongest reasonable form. Refuting a weak version proves nothing.

In practice

"We should eat less meat." Charity reads the best case—health, cost, climate—not the wildest version available to attack.

Your place on the trail

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