Pater Familias

Theories, observations, and articles, by Philip Schaefer · All posts · Categories

WHAT HAPPENED TO ISSUES THAT REASONABLE MEN COULD DIFFER ON?

July 27, 2008 at 6:37 PM · History, Politics

WHAT HAPPENED TO ISSUES THAT REASONABLE MEN COULD DIFFER ON? The concept that reasonable men can differ about factual issues is still good doctrine in the courts, but I rarely encounter it in public discourse. Even the most complicated factual issues (and most public policy issues are complicated)—issues which historians will still be debating a century from now— are usually treated briefly, and disagreement is dismissed as unreasonable.