Wish I could see Windows-only "Rationale" program in Linux

[hanzj]

Hello,

Rationale, http://rationale.austhink.com/ , is an argument-mapping software application that helps on be a better critical thinker. Anybody who wants to be a better thinker would be helped by using such a program. Unfortunately, it's available only on Windows.
It costs about $70 USD, but a 30 day trial version is available.

I am no programmer, but I wish that a group of kind developers could develop a program like Rationale (if not better) for Ubuntu / Linux.

If you want to read about "The Rationale for Rationale", please see the developer's transcript at http://lpr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/re...oP&keytype=ref (http://lpr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/mgm032?ijkey=GFHrAQMNkJ09woP&keytype=ref) .

I'm quite impressed with the program. The program is really helpful for all thinking people, or for people who want to think better and more clearly and would like to take advantage of external aids (external to our brain).

[my_key]

It might run under wine...

[nvteighen]

Excuse me, but I really doubt such a program makes you a better critical thinker. Maybe it helps you to organize your thought much better (as UML is meant to help programmers), but it won't improve your critical thought... that's something you must train yourself for.

Maybe any diagram designer may help (well, even GIMP may help here)... Have you looked at Dia (aptitude install dia)?

[pp.]

Is there any critical difference between this product and a generic mind mapping program?

[my_key]

Excuse me, but I really doubt such a program makes you a better critical thinker.
Shhh silence... Damn those critical thinkers!



Is there any critical difference between this product and a generic mind mapping program?
Yes, it's overpriced :)

Just use pencil/paper or your mind's eye (maybe even mind map software) to visualize train of thought. Learn about logical fallacies. And think critically (think for yourself, make up your own mind).

Or write the program yourself! Programming requires a great deal of logic, so by writing this program you'll perhaps become a better critical thinker.

[CptPicard]

A good undergrad text on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-order_logic and pencil and paper makes you a better critical thinker :)

Actually I have a book like that, and it presents a calculus system for deriving proofs using predicate logic... I use it a lot to formalize thoughts. I must look crazy when I start scribbling symbols on paper when looking to convince myself of an argument (I sometimes do off the cuff Bayesian inference too... "I am willing to believe that about 0.63") :)

[hanzj]

Is there any critical difference between this product and a generic mind mapping program?


Yes.

There are hundreds of mapping tools currently available. Tools vary primarily by the type of information they try to represent, and the tradeoff they make between expressiveness and usability (in Buckingham-Shum's words). Most of the tools below can, or are designed to, be used for argumentation or evidence-based reasoning. Toulmin-based argument mapping tools are less expressive, (because they only represent arguments), but possibly more usable (because boxes and arrows are always interpreted in a specific way). Concept maps are more expressive (because they can anything including arguments) but less usable (because the meaning of boxes and arrows are not consistent and have to be explicitly labeled).

(http://www.phil.cmu.edu/projects/argument_mapping/ )

[hanzj]

It might run under wine...

How do we do this? And can someone confirm whether it works or not with "wine"?