Eliezer Yudkowsky | v1.7.0Oct 19th 2012 | (+606/-151) | ||
Vladimir_Nesov | v1.6.0Aug 5th 2011 | (+45) /* External links */ Added Grace's "Estimation is the best we have" | ||
Vladimir_Nesov | v1.5.0Jul 26th 2010 | (+17) /* See also */ | ||
Vladimir_Nesov | v1.4.0Jul 26th 2010 | (+19) /* See also */ | ||
Vladimir_Nesov | v1.3.0Jul 26th 2010 | (+106) /* Blog posts */ added "demand for particular proof" posts | ||
Vladimir_Nesov | v1.2.0Jul 14th 2010 | (+45/-725) | ||
Pw201 | v1.1.0Jun 12th 2010 | categorise | ||
Pw201 | v1.0.0Jun 12th 2010 | (+1578) First cut |
The primary type is probably the application of a theory of justified dismissal, such as a theory of error or insanity, to critics and dissenters. Another major type is the interpretation of criticism as behavior to be explained rather than answered. This is closely connected to the type that refuses to see a meta-level in the critic's criticism, and will not allow critics to escape the object-language of the theory... All the types have in common an evasion of a responsibility to answer criticism on the merits, when that evasion is authorized by the theory criticized. All types are triggered only by expounded criticism, and only insulate the proponent from conversion or capitulation, not the theory from refutation.
A term originating in the philosopher Peter Suber's essay Logical Rudeness. What Suber calls logical rudeness is a response to criticism which insulates the responder from having to address the criticism directly. Suber comes up with a taxonomy of logical rudeness:
The primary type is probably the application of a theory of justified dismissal, such as a theory of error or insanity, to critics and dissenters. Another major type is the interpretation of criticism as behavior to be explained rather than answered. This is closely connected to the type that refuses to see a meta-level in the critic's criticism, and will not allow critics to escape the object-language of the theory... All the types have in common an evasion of a responsibility to answer criticism on the merits, when that evasion is authorized by the theory criticized. All types are triggered only by expounded criticism, and only insulate the proponent from conversion or capitulation, not the theory from refutation.
Suber goes on to say that rudeness does not imply falsehood, and in fact, to insulate yourself from criticism on the grounds that your opponent is rude is itself rude. He goes on to examine the competing norms of debate: we might wish to allow people freedom to hold to theories, including those which are rude, but we also wish debates to move forwards.
Suber goes on to say that rudeness does not imply falsehood, and in fact, to insulate yourself from criticism on the grounds that your opponent is rude is itself rude.
He goes onIn the post Logical Rudeness, Yudkowsky broadened the term to
examinedescribe other offenses against thecompeting normscooperative flow ofdebate: wedebate, which mightwishbe "logically rude" even if spoken politely; for example, saying "X because Y", and then, after one side went toallow people freedoma great deal of trouble toholdtest and falsify Y, saying, "Well, Y doesn't really matter, really X because Z". Similarly, ignoring all the diligent work that evolutionary biologists did totheories, including those which are rude, but we also wish debatesdig up previous fossils, and insisting you can only be satisfied by an actual videotape, is "logically rude" because you're ignoring evidence that someone went tomove forwards.a great deal of trouble to provide to you.