The Logic Elf

[Pharaoh Cat]

Assumptions:
(1) A proposition may be true, false, or indeterminate.
(2) Holding a proposition may help, hinder, or have no impact.
(3) Whether a proposition is true, false, or indeterminate is in no way contingent on whether holding it helps, hinders, or has no impact, actually or potentially.
(4) Whether holding a proposition helps, hinders, or has no impact, actually or potentially, is not necessarily contingent on whether the proposition is true, false, or indeterminate.
(5) The direct impact of holding a proposition may be intellectual, emotional, or social, and the indirect impact, resulting from the direct, may be financial, mortal*, or procreative.

* "Mortal impact" means an increase (help) or decrease (hindrance) to the likelihood of survival.

Do you agree with the assumptions?  Which don't you agree with?

Let's say the guy pictured at the bottom of this post is the Logic Elf.  Let's say, furthermore, that there's a young woman named Jill, your daughter, whom you love with all your heart, such that, if she needed a kidney and you were compatible, you would give her one of yours, and if she needed two, you would be willing to give her both of yours, and die that she might live, albeit no doctor would permit you to do this, presumably.  Let's say, finally, you learned very recently that Jill holds the proposition, "The Logic Elf rewards anyone who thinks logically."  Call this Proposition L.

You have determined that, as a direct result of holding Proposition L, Jill is helped mentally by continually remembering to apply logic; emotionally by feeling happy whenever she applies logic; and socially because people who hold Proposition L tend to flock together in camaraderie.  You have further determined that because Jill continually remembers to think logically, and surrounds herself with other people who likewise continually remember to think logically, she is deriving, as a result, financial and mortal benefit, and even procreative benefit, as she has married a man who holds Proposition L, and Jill is pregnant with this man's offspring, and her gynecologist says the baby looks healthy and is growing normally.

Let's say you think Proposition L is false.  Do you debate Proposition L with Jill?

[Davin]

Let's say you think Proposition L is false.  Do you debate Proposition L with Jill?

Before the surgery? Probably not. If she brings it up, I'd just not say anything... if she pushes, then I just tell her I don't accept it. After the surgery, I'd only debate when she brings it up. I don't care what other people choose to believe as long as they don't try to make me believe it too. If they do try to get me to accept something, they'd better have a lot to back it up because I do care about what I accept.

[Stevil]

Need more information.
It is not my life's purpose to point out all false propositions.

Has she asked my opinion? Do we have an understanding where she would expect my opinion even if not asked for?

[Siz]

The Plain English Fairy just farted.

Sorry, Dude, too clever for me!

[Melmoth]

I'd probably ask her how she discovered the idea, out of simple curiosity. I'd talk to her about it, have a casual chat, but I wouldn't debate anything unless she initiated it. And even then, since she isn't making an empirical proposition, that kind of 'disproof' would be irrelevant, so I wouldn't go down that path.

[Wessik]

Why would someone holding these propositions debate a proposition if the proposition being true is completely non-contingent to benefit? Furthermore, the proposition "Benefit is the criterion by which we believe any proposition" could be believed willy nilly regardless of whether it was true. And someone holding these positions, couldn't negate the above statement if they so wished?

I think you've created a system where the means to find if a proposition is true is available, but entirely irrelevant to the very same system. Kind of an non-circular argument.