What is Tug of Logic?

Tug of Logic works as virtual infrastructure for social reasoning. Bouts of dialogue (logical scrimmage) are facilitated by a game referee (instructor or advanced student). Opposing sides on controversial issues seek a sufficient vote rate on each necessary premises, a process that highlights and refines both common ground and points of dissensus. Players formulate individual premises which may be revised on the fly but must win enough (revisable) votes to advance. Nominal winners are those who, recognizing the strength of the argument constructed by opponents, switch over.

Tug of Logic is an Internet-mediated collaborative game for the competitive social construction of arguments on controversial topics. The use of Internet-connected devices allows for group feedback through revisable voting on revisable premises; players hone wording of reasons to increase votes while preserving argument validity.

Nature of Tug of Logic

Using truth and logic, facts and evidence, or other acceptable principles, the Player attempts to the swing the Opinion of the Room toward their Main Claim, before a final vote is taken.

To participate, all players require an Internet-connected device such as a phone or laptop, and the Logic Referee requires a laptop to facilitate the game, plus—importantly—also a large public-facing monitor (or projector and screen), which serves an essential social feedback function.

Tug of Logic facilitates the collaborative and competitive development of persuasive arguments built on a shifting common-ground.

Using Internet-connected devices (phones) to enter revisable reasons for or against any controversial main claim, players also vote and seek votes in support of their reasons.

The game-need to earn votes focuses players on finding exact wording acceptable to adversaries; and the aim of fair persuasion works against reliance on incomplete arguments.

The demands of the game bring a measure of precision and logical rigour to a discussion with philosophically-inexperienced participants.

Throughout the game, players work to gain support for their reasons, but they only win when they change their mind on the MainClaim that is the focus of the game.

I’m Michael

I’m a writer and philosopher, and now a game developer. This site introduces Tug of Logic, a game and web-app I have created to serve public reasoning.

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