Additional proposals:
Der Ausdruck "fauler Friede" kann nämlich auch als Hinweis verstanden werden, daß geistige Auseinandersetzung anstrengender ist als verschlafene oder gönnerhafte Uninteressiertheit, zumal wenn die Debatte weltanschauliche oder [...]
The expression "false peace" can be understood also as hint that the intellectual discussion is more demanding than sleepy or patronizing disinterestedness, particularly when the debate is about ideological or religious topics.con-spiration.decon-spiration.de
:
http://www.linguee.de/deutsch-englisch/uebersetzung/geistige...Further translations without citation from the same source:
- intellectual debate
- real confrontation of ideas
- intellectual investigation
- mental argument
- intellectual engagement
- intellectual discourse
- mental challenge
- spiritual delving
- spiritual quest
- intellectual altercations
- mental confrontation
Note: In terms of neurons and physiology I would avoid to speak of "spiritual". But "mental" or "intellectual" are also questionable.
By the way, njbecket, did you already made up your mind and selected one term, which you could communictate to us?
peer agreement (net): +8