Debate is Not Fighting | A Collision of Ideas
Oxford University, this temple of knowledge, is renowned worldwide for both its long history and rich academic resources. This academic sanctuary houses numerous libraries, many of which are still used by current students but can only be visited through specific activities or guided tours.
To catch a glimpse of the ancient library featured in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," I signed up for a tour of the Bodleian Library.
The Divinity School is one of Oxford University's oldest teaching venues and England's first room purpose-built for academic discussion. Walking into this historic hall, you'll find seats lining both sides and a lectern at each end. This was once the venue for university examinations.
What amazed me was that these examinations weren't about frantically writing essays or composing reports. Instead, they conducted academic debates in this space.
The questioner would stand at the left lectern, while the respondent would stand at the right. Through this question-and-answer format, students demonstrated their deep understanding of research topics while professors, teachers, and fellow students witnessed their learning outcomes.
This method of debate and exchange serves as both an assessment tool and an excellent learning channel. It enables students to internalize ideas and knowledge more effectively, making them truly their own. Respondents must research topics thoroughly to address various questions, while questioners must fully understand the research content to pose deep and challenging questions.
Perhaps it's the art of asking good questions that elevates research topics to new heights.
During the tour, I raised a question: "Why have students question each other? If someone asks a pointed question and another student can't answer, wouldn't that cause embarrassment or offense?"
Later, I realized the cultural difference.
In this question-and-answer debate process, "challenging" others' viewpoints isn't an attack or criticism—it's a way of deep exploration and mutual inspiration. Discussion isn't a competition but a process of collectively seeking truth. Whether viewpoints are correct or not, the collision of ideas creates new sparks and inspires innovative thoughts.
A good discussion should be open, where participants can freely express themselves and understand others. We shouldn't view questioning as attacks, take offense, or stubbornly hold onto our views. This open attitude allows our knowledge to be refined through dialogue, forming a deeper understanding.
More importantly, when discussants from different backgrounds bring unique perspectives, we can explore topics from diverse angles, offering distinctive viewpoints and insights. This is the embodiment of human creativity and the charm of academic exchange.
Oxford University's Divinity School is not just a historical relic but a living testament to intellectual exchange. It reminds us that true learning isn't merely about acquiring knowledge—it's about thinking, questioning, discussing, and innovating.
In this age of information explosion, we should embrace this open, in-depth discussion method, letting knowledge become part of us while continuously innovating.
Additionally, to digress slightly, there's a popular humorous internet meme culture now. People use titles like "AI definitely can't do XXX" alongside videos of humans doing silly things. This cleverly contrasts AI's "wisdom" with human "flaws," implying that such delightful nonsense could only come from humans.
Today's AI can generate polished, universal content when telling stories or debating. However, it cannot create truly unique or niche content because it's based on global big data, analyzing primarily "correct" general facts.
In contrast, humans, with their different backgrounds and "flaws," aren't perfect like AI. These very differences enable us to create distinctive works, explore from unusual angles, discuss niche topics, and create melancholic literature.
Humans can create truly unique, distinctive, and interesting works.
