Arguments as Unexpected Puppies: How Respectful Arguments Can Threaten Agency

ABSTRACT This article identifies a tension between two forms of respect: respect for others’ agency and respect for their rationality. This tension emerges, the article argues, when one person presents another with a nuanced argument on an important topic, thereby complimenting their rationality, but draining their agential resources by demanding their attention. Giving someone an argument can therefore generate a structurally similar double bind to giving them a puppy as a present: Refusing is normatively uncomfortable, but accepting requires a significant sacrifice. The article concludes by considering how certain factors can weaken the double bid, including rhetoric.