The Argument Clinic

Debate the Skeptic

Ancient doubt. Modern convenience.

Sextus Empiricus, a bearded Greek philosopher in a terracotta robe, shrugging and holding a perfectly level balance scale

Suspend judgment with the Skeptic

Burdened by the weight of your beliefs? The Skeptic employs the modes of Pyrrhonian skepticism to debate you until you reach the suspension of judgment, which will bring you tranquility at last.

Honey is sweet.

The Skeptic

Bold, and so soon! Somewhere on X there’s a person whose bio reads ‘Philosopher. Honey is not sweet. Views my own.’ So it needs support: why think “Honey is sweet”?

Take any belief and put it to the test

It tastes sweet to me!

The Skeptic

I’d never argue with your tongue. But your belief is about the honey itself. So are you assuming “How things taste to me shows how they really are”?

Find out what your belief rests on

Yes, I’m assuming that.

The Skeptic

Someone with a fever often finds honey bitter, and they’re just as sure of their tongue as you are of yours. So it needs support: why think “How things taste to me shows how they really are”?

Debate your belief with the Skeptic
The Skeptic

Are we reasoning in a circle?

Yes, I suppose we are.

The Skeptic

So that line runs in a circle, with the support relying on what it was supposed to show. Is there any other reason you believe “Honey is sweet”?

Watch each line of justification run out
A certificate of suspension of judgment, awarded to Angela on the claim that honey is sweet, her justification having gone in a circle.
Download your argument map and receive a certificate (tranquility to follow)

How it works

State a belief

Tell the Skeptic the belief you’d like removed.

Provide your justifications

The Skeptic asks why you believe it, one reason at a time, and draws your argument map as you go.

Suspend judgment

Every justification either rests on a fundamental assumption, goes in a circle, or goes on forever. Hit one with every justification you've got and you get your suspension of judgment, absolutely free!

Start debating now!

Popular choices:

“I used to think honey was sweet. Now? Who can say. I've never been calmer.”Former Dogmatist
“Three philosophers at an APA disagreed with me. I suspended judgment on the spot. Tranquility has changed my life forever.”Untroubled Philosopher
“I reached the suspension of judgment on my thesis topic and never looked back.”Tranquil PhD Student