Do all ideas and opinions deserve the same respect?

Question

Or should we respect the people behind every idea but not necessarily the ideas themselves in a political debate?. I definitely lean more towards the second but am very interested to hear what others think.

Bare in mind that almost anything can be considered ideas by some. That the earth is flat or that cats bark could be considered ideas by some at some point in time (took hypothetical very unlikely examples to keep the Q neutral but I hope it's still clear what I mean)

Do you have to respect ideas if you consider them nonsense in a political debate or is it your duty to the best of your ability and knowledge explain and defend the reasons why these ideas are not serious to you?

Answer 1

I like to eat my poo. To some people, that is freedom of speech. It's all opinion, and at the end, it should all be taken with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, it's about right and wrong, and more importantly, who is able to distinguish.  

Answer 2

No, this is one of the greatest lessons of the scientific method, is that not all ideas are created equal.

Sure you have to learn to separate the argument from the person but once you do that you have to take a good hard look at the idea, and throw it out if it doesn't work.

Answer 3

Respect - hard term

So a person represents an idea - whatever that idea is , should you respect the person as an entity onto itself ?

Yes , but then what is it , that person is telling you ?

So in terms of a person lets define respect as - allowing of the person to have that opinion or that position without fear of reprisal except in cases where the position becomes criminal - But even then I expect some respect for another being no matter what that person has or has not done said or represents

Meaning - you do not suddenly get the right to torture a known "criminal"

As to an idea position or thought - No you do not have to "respect" an idea

I do expect that you will respect the right to be wrong in your eyes and or others - to suppress things that you do not like is to open yourself up to the same treatment

But I would prefer that people would be true to their ideals and idea's rather than the people who represent them

I am a "X" - OK but when the person who leads X goes off the mark from the things you thought were noble - many get lost following the man and not the idea(s)

Respect the person enough to have an opinion different from yours

Respect the idea if it is respectable in your eyes - and then abandon the people who abandon the ideals under a false cloak - seems simple

There is a lot of grey and that causes a lot of problems

What is criminal ? What is the abandonment of said ideal or concept ?

Some common sense is required -  

Answer 4

there are many ideas and schools of thought and they all need to be studied. there are no schools of thought that holds all the truth however there are a little truth in all of them. if one can find those truth then he or she will have a better idea of the reality. unfortunately some people born into a particular belief system and never really have studied any other beliefs.IE; once someone told me that he never studied Marx since it is a sin to do so!! go and figure!  peace

Answer 5

No.  They only deserve the respect of simply being allowed to voice their opinions, no matter how outrageous or nonsensical they may be.  Respect and acceptance of said idea or opinion (or even the person disseminating it) must be earned.

Answer 6

No.  The problem is foolishness gets too much respect.  It's frankly time for some ridicule.

Answer 7

Your right to your opinion stops at my eardrums if its nonsense.

Keep spouting nonsense and you never gain my respect, respect has to be earned, it isn't something to be given away, and it can be easily lost as well.

Answer 8

First of all Obama has ideas and that's all like cats bark LOL!

                       McCain08'

Answer 9

Most people don't have enough time to take into consideration every idea or theory.  Descartes tried to create a rational proof to explain the existence of a higher power but ultimately failed.  Since we know that you can't rationally prove god, we know that his arguement doesn't hold much merit.  But you should always take into consideration other peoples points of view and understand them...even if you don't agree with them.  Basically the more you know, the quicker you can sort through the bullshit and get to the truth.

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

Answer 10

My opinion is that you give people as much respect as they earn. Their ideas are about the same.  

Answer 11

ideas that help humanity live better, deserve more respect

Answer 12

It gets to the point where its not worth wasting time debating points with someone when they are OBVIOUSLY wrong.

You also shouldn't have to explain the obvious to them either if they should have learned their lesson long ago. Children need to be taught, adults shouldn't have to be.

In short, NO, you don't have to respect all ideas.

Answer 13

My opinion is that everyone has the right to their own opinion, and since we live in a free society at the moment, nobody has to justify WHY they have a certain point of view. This is not an academic arena, but a general public audience we are dealing with, and if they say man never went to the moon, it's not my job or anyone else's to say "prove it".  

Most people who come in here should be able to read well enough to make a logical inference, and if they don't agree with whatever you put on here, then they have the right to disagree. However (again), nobody has to explain why they have opinions that differ from others, and it is not anyone's job on a message board to convert them either.

Now I would love to be able to say I agree or disagree with certain political candidates, however, SOMEONE, who took up 9 channels to try to show a logical point tonight, seems to fail to put his ideas across so I'll know whether to doggedly disagree with him or not, so I guess I'll wait for the debates. Now I will say that I think his spouse is a little more coherent than he is at the moment...He just talks circles and makes speeches...h**l, I wouldn't have griped so much if he took up Hillary Clinton's challenge to a Lincoln Douglas debate.

And I had to give up Law and Order and/or Monday Night Football for this c**p I had to endure this evening? Geez...There's MY opinion...I can't WAIT for the debates because there will be NO skirting around the issues by either candidate then...

Answer 14

they do.  the problem, at least on y/a is that Republicans and Conservatives have sucked every ounce of respect and dignity out of this forum a long time ago.

Answer 15

If one is truly possesed of conviction, then by neccesity certain ideas will present themselves as diametrically opposed opposites. I do not accept "love your enemies" as a useful political position and anyone who would suggest that n***s have a "right" to feel the way they do and act on their political convictions needs a good boot to the teeth as far as I am concerned.

So then, the answer to your question is an emphatic NO.

What is best in life?

To crush your enemies; to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.