Ideological debates won't solve real world's problems. Empathetic actions will.

I have always thought that all philosophical debates are ultimately between the partisans of structure and the partisans of "goo.

Although her disobedience is tragic, Eve's innocence is not all bad. Certainly, that innocfence leads her to make a poor choice - the very worst - but the fact that she makes a choice at all, the fact that she engages the Devil in a debate which could go either way, the fact that she acts without God breathing down her neck - all speak for her free will or, what amounts to the same thing, her margin for error. It is from this margin for error that freedom springs, because you can't be free to right unless you can be free to be wrong.

"A philosophical thought is not supposed to be impervious to all criticism; this is the error Whitehead describes of turning philosophy into geometry, and it is useful primarily as a way of gaining short-term triumphs in personal arguments that no one else cares (or even knows) about anyway. A good philosophical thought will always be subject to criticisms (as Heidegger's or Whitehead's best insights all are) but they are of such elegance and depth that they change the terms of debate, and function as a sort of "obligatory passage point" (Latour's term) in the discussions that follow.

The debate was wearing me out. Once you've posed that question, it won't go away. I think many people kill themselves simply to stop the debate about whether they will or they won't. Anything I thought or did was immediately drawn into the debate. Made a stupid remark-why not kill myself? Missed the bus-better put an end to it all. Even the good got in there. I liked that movie-maybe I shouldn't kill myself.

Philosophers can debate the meaning of life, but you need a Lord who can declare the meaning of life.

Specifically, I'd like to debate whether cannibalism ought to be grounds for leniency in murders, since it's less wasteful.

The more you talk about it, rehash it, rethink it, cross analyze it, debate it, respond to it, get paranoid about it, compete with it, complain about it, immortalize it, cry over it, kick it, defame it, stalk it, gossip about it, pray over it, put it down or dissect its motives it continues to rot in your brain. It is dead. It is over. It is gone. It is done. It is time to bury it because it is smelling up your life and no one wants to be near your rotted corpse of memories and decaying attitude. Be the funeral director of your life and bury that thing!

"About once or twice every month I engage in public debates with those whose pressing need it is to woo and to win the approval of supernatural beings. Very often, when I give my view that there is no supernatural dimension, and certainly not one that is only or especially available to the faithful, and that the natural world is wonderful enough-and even miraculous enough if you insist-I attract pitying looks and anxious questions. How, in that case, I am asked, do I find meaning and purpose in life? How does a mere and gross materialist, with no expectation of a life to come, decide what, if anything, is worth caring about?

Energy has become a national security issue and as technology continues to improve there will be more debates like the one on Keystone.

Calm open debate and logical thought drive strength to its maximum effectiveness.

I think the debate in our society now is that people have to agree on zero-tolerance to terrorism.

If you publish a scientific paper it is very hard to start a nationwide debate about something. If you do this in a movie you can start a debate. We like to create a bridge between those two worlds - film and science.

In a sad twist of fate the bill to reauthorize the Patriot Act was debated on the floor of the House of Representatives the same day that terrorists struck again.

Over the course of time this gave us a deep respect for ideas both our own and those of others and an understanding that conflict through debate is a powerful means of revealing truth.

Oh there's going to be debate because you're dealing with the Bible and religion is supposed to be separate from state and that to me is already a conflict before it even hits the gay issue.

Religion enabled society to organise itself to debate goodness just as Greek drama had once done.

A politician's goal is always to manipulate public debate. I think there are some politicians with higher goals. But all of them get corrupted by power.

I'm out there arguing the Labor case. I will do it anywhere and everywhere that I can. I do it within various communities across Australia where I am able to make a positive contribution. And let me tell you my voice won't be silenced in the public debate because the issue at stake for Australia are so stark.

Linguistic philosophers continue to argue that probably music is not a language that is in the philosophical debate. Another point of view is to say that music is a very profound language.

There are 435 members of Congress. There's one 'Morning Joe' show. Hopefully we can keep hammering the argument that you can disagree with other people and have debates but remain civil.

For the life of me I don't understand what honest motive there is in putting this in front of this body to philosophically debate marriage on a constitutional amendment that is not going to happen and which is enormously divisive in all of our communities.

Culture what you believe what you value how you live matters. Now as fundamental as these principles are they may become topics of democratic debates from time to time so it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.

I love argument I love debate. I don't expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me that's not their job.