A considerable number of people tend to avoid debating as they frequently see it as a disrespectful confrontation of people with opposite opinions who aim to persuade others at any cost. At the same time, while it is possible to avoid an argument with unfamiliar people, family members, and friends deserve ethical responses even if their point of view may be regarded as completely unjustifiable. For example, a person I love may believe that marriage is only between one man and one woman, however, I think that homosexuals should have a right to marry their partners as well.
First of all, it is a challenging question whether another person’s opinion that contradicts my personal and cultural beliefs should be respected. On the one hand, his points of view may remain unaccepted as multiple opinions may indicate deep personal beliefs. For example, the unacceptance of racial equality and same-sex marriage demonstrate the unacceptance of people’s differences regardless of their forms of expression. On the other hand, it should be respected and addressed ethically. Indeed, when an unjustifiable is expressed, the use of System 1 thinking should be avoided as it presupposes a natural reaction of confrontation that will lead to a conflict. In turn, System 2 allows us to analyze the situation and prepare an efficient response. According to Facione and Gittens (2016), “the positive critical thinking habits of mind include endeavoring to anticipate consequences and recognizing that many judgments are not “black and white” but instead involve shades of gray” (p. 337). In other words, a person’s opinion may have underlying reasons and should not be denied directly due to its difference.
Thus, an efficient and productive disagreement should be based on mutual respect. According to Dhar, it is essential to find common ground even if it is highly narrow (TED, 2018). In the case of marriage, this common ground may be equal human rights, respect for people’s freedoms, and love that may be expressed in different forms. When an opponent shares the same attitude toward these principles, it will be possible to convince him that homosexual people also have a right to happiness, thus, marriage between one man and one woman is not a single option.
References
Facione, P., & Gittens, C. A. (2016). Think critically (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.
TED. (2018). How to disagree productively and find common ground | Julia Dhar [Video]. YouTube.