Consensus Gentium Debate: Is it good or bad to be open to influence?
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:00 pm
‘Consensus Gentium’ is to decide on what is true or right based on a general agreement among the masses.
To take a group of people’s opinions as axiom is ill-advised by most standards. Not many would argue in favor of this practice. What our theory presupposes is: what if it’s not?* It can’t be wrong to ask what's what for the sake of talking about things, at the very least. That will be the goal of this section: weighing over and wrestling with various topics until a general conclusion can be reasonably drawn by a majority.
When a question/topic is put forth to discuss** it will be open for ten days of debate before closing. Once closed there will be a three day voting period to determine the consensus gentium.
While readers are encouraged to participate in the comments section below, we will also be allowing for anonymous discussion***. Opinions submitted anonymously will be posted by staff as such in order to add them to the conversation. Voting will be submitted privately, with results posted publicly. Any topic/question put forth will be shelved for 6 months once it is decided on after which it can be resubmitted for debate again.
If you're wondering how you can determine a black and white outcome to topics that aren't black and white, allow us to offer clearly defined grey areas. For example if the topic is ‘Torpor - Yay or Nay?’ you might break voting down with The Alignment System:
Lawful Good - Always torpor for 2 weeks after being zeroed, True Neutral - It is important that torpor is honored while not obligatory, Chaotic Evil - Never torpor, never stop, never surrender, ETC.
If the topic was to be ‘Is the color purple actually the worst (and should we pretend it doesn't exist)’ the answer might be broken into a Flow Chart:
Are you colour blind? ---> Yes ----> You probably already don’t believe it exists.
Are you Prince? ---> Yes ---> Purple reigns, purple reigns.
Are you the 1985 Academy Awards? ---> Yes ---> 11 times no.
Are you the 1985 Golden Globes? ---> Yes ---> Whoopie for The Color Purple!
We can get creative, people. Let’s not be scared to speculate outside of the box. The idea is to be fun and/or expository. You are also encouraged to use a lot of big words to sound smart, if you haven’t already vaticinated.
So let’s just get right into it and chew on the first topic, of which the irony is not lost on us: Is it good or bad to be open to influence? Does learning from our peers make us wiser or does indifference make us free thinkers? Some parts of our community believe in goodness and do-goodery and some parts believe we should be upholding our sinister and monstrous side. Where does right and wrong influence measure up in cases where the community ethics are torn? This rabbit hole will require a full search party to reach a consensus gentium. Every opinion counts here.
*Shout out to The Royal Tennenbaum’s if you get that reference.
**If you would like to suggest a topic/question for discussion you can do so here: THE PLACE
***If you would like to submit an opinion for discussion you can do so here: THE OTHER PLACE
To take a group of people’s opinions as axiom is ill-advised by most standards. Not many would argue in favor of this practice. What our theory presupposes is: what if it’s not?* It can’t be wrong to ask what's what for the sake of talking about things, at the very least. That will be the goal of this section: weighing over and wrestling with various topics until a general conclusion can be reasonably drawn by a majority.
When a question/topic is put forth to discuss** it will be open for ten days of debate before closing. Once closed there will be a three day voting period to determine the consensus gentium.
While readers are encouraged to participate in the comments section below, we will also be allowing for anonymous discussion***. Opinions submitted anonymously will be posted by staff as such in order to add them to the conversation. Voting will be submitted privately, with results posted publicly. Any topic/question put forth will be shelved for 6 months once it is decided on after which it can be resubmitted for debate again.
If you're wondering how you can determine a black and white outcome to topics that aren't black and white, allow us to offer clearly defined grey areas. For example if the topic is ‘Torpor - Yay or Nay?’ you might break voting down with The Alignment System:
Lawful Good - Always torpor for 2 weeks after being zeroed, True Neutral - It is important that torpor is honored while not obligatory, Chaotic Evil - Never torpor, never stop, never surrender, ETC.
If the topic was to be ‘Is the color purple actually the worst (and should we pretend it doesn't exist)’ the answer might be broken into a Flow Chart:
Are you colour blind? ---> Yes ----> You probably already don’t believe it exists.
Are you Prince? ---> Yes ---> Purple reigns, purple reigns.
Are you the 1985 Academy Awards? ---> Yes ---> 11 times no.
Are you the 1985 Golden Globes? ---> Yes ---> Whoopie for The Color Purple!
We can get creative, people. Let’s not be scared to speculate outside of the box. The idea is to be fun and/or expository. You are also encouraged to use a lot of big words to sound smart, if you haven’t already vaticinated.
So let’s just get right into it and chew on the first topic, of which the irony is not lost on us: Is it good or bad to be open to influence? Does learning from our peers make us wiser or does indifference make us free thinkers? Some parts of our community believe in goodness and do-goodery and some parts believe we should be upholding our sinister and monstrous side. Where does right and wrong influence measure up in cases where the community ethics are torn? This rabbit hole will require a full search party to reach a consensus gentium. Every opinion counts here.
*Shout out to The Royal Tennenbaum’s if you get that reference.
**If you would like to suggest a topic/question for discussion you can do so here: THE PLACE
***If you would like to submit an opinion for discussion you can do so here: THE OTHER PLACE
