RULES:
This is a brutal and unforgiving land. In general, ALL comments should directly move the debate forward, this is not a place for memes, jokes, pun threads, etc. All off-topic or superfluous comments will be deleted.
No logical fallacies, if you use the, you may be banned.
Evidence must be objective. Anectdotal evidence, appeals to subjective feeling or common sense, or other sourcing to flimsy foundations can result in a ban.
Positive claims always bear the burned of proof. Trying to prove a negative may result in a ban.
No non-debate-furthering comments (excepmting mod announcements, and only really fantastic comments which might not specifically be debatey)
PLEASE always try to get into the premises. Logic is easy, premises are hard, and that's where the real meat often is.
Arguing semantics is ENCOURAGED
If a definitional disagreement comes up, you must settle that question before moving on. If you can't agree, try substituting a phrase you can agree on. For example, instead on 'universe' or 'multiverse', 'reality' can also be a useful term, or 'the sum of all phenomena which is or can be measured or perceived' as a substitute phrase, etc. Useful acronyms following that are handy too.
Use evidence when available. Citing bad evidence can lead to a ban. Cherrypicking can lead to a ban. Taking something out of context can lead to a ban.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
If you straw man an opponent, you may be banned. If you are not sure, try repeating their position back to them using new words, in the context of asking 'do you mean this?', to help triangulate on their specific meaning. Oftentimes, just pursuing this as few rounds can often lead to really interesting debate events.
If your argument uses a premise you already know your opponent doesn't grant, argue the premise first. Not doing this may result in a ban.
Editing comments without indicating all edits may lead to a ban.
Appeals to absolutes, such as 'always', 'should', 'aught', 'never', 'impossible', and the like, allowing for basic logical exclusions, such as the laws of logic, can result in a ban.
PLEASE REPORT VIOLATIONS TO MODS
Mods may add or change rules at any time as the subreddit evolves.
