"Bulverism"

In the first paragraph of Lewis' essay he talks about the idea of "picking apart" a rose. Before you know it, it's not a rose a all, but instead a scent in our nose or a stream of color sent to our rods and cones. Because we've recently "discovered that we exist"  and have freedom (the Marxist/Freudian view) it is believed by some that our thoughts are "ideologically tainted". The question asked is what thoughts are tainted and which ones are not? The answer: some are and some aren't. CS Lewis then gives an example of a bank account balance and goes on to explain that if you try to find out which thoughts are tainted by only using speculation you're making a fool of yourself. Futher into the reading we find out the actual definition of "Bulverism". Lewis' decription is "to assume without discussion that a man is wrong and then distract his attention from this (the only real issue) by busily explaining how he became to be so silly". In other words, when debating you don't need to prove someone wrong you just need to say that they are wrong because 'they're a man' or something of the sort. This sort of argument occurs so often that many don't even realize they're doing it. I agree with Lewis when he says that Bulverism is a truly democratic game that can be played all day without any headway in one direction. Until Bulverism is extinct, reason has no place. And to be clear, reason is not the same thing as ordinary cause. We need to have a good balance between the two. 
After much debate, Lewis states that something beyond nature exists. Also, nature can depend on will & reason which leads to the conclusion that God created nature (Obviously this is simplified). I also like the point that Lewis makes when he says, "Man is on the border line between the natural and the supernatural". It reminds me of the passage that says.. He made us a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned us with glory and honor. From there comes a short question and answer with CS lewis that is cut short.

After reading this and discussing it in class, I'd have to say the thought that hit me the hardest was the answer to how we should combat Bulverism. I agree with the response of humility and the strength to admit that our opinion might not be the correct answer. Those qualities alone can speak wonders about a person. I also liked the statement that we need to listen to others opinions, not just hear them. This is something I struggle with in my own life. I LOVE to talk. But I'm not a very good listener... yes I can be quiet while others are talking but during that time I'm usually thinking about what I am going to say in response. Being able to truly listen and care about others opinions is a great quality to have (that I need to improve on). Finally, I love the saying that explains how we need to treat EVERYONE like they're someone we admire. It's sooo hard to walk into a room and just respect everyone like we've known them for years and that they've had much influence in our lives. The one thing I've learned through this is that if I ever get into a debate, from now on I'm going to try to keep it "bulverism-free". :)