This discussion begins in medias res. I apologize in advance for its many twists and turns. Years ago, Leigh Johnson wrote a piece laying out an idea of philosophical debate as “friendly fire,” using an Aristotelian conception of friendship. My friend and former colleague Joshua Miller responded to that idea with his own elaboration of “friendly fire,” using an Arendtian notion of dialogue across difference. Having read Miller’s blogpost (but not Johnson’s), I came across Nomy Arpaly’s “Is Polite Philosophical Discussion Possible?” in the Daily Nous, and thought I saw a connection between the two. Arpaly makes a compelling case that to equate rudeness with philosophical rigor is a hazardous conflation, and that bareknuckle pugilism hinders the philosophical process and discourages many (especially women) from…

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