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Worst argument in the world.

Started by LMNO, August 28, 2012, 05:47:21 PM

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LMNO

I was checking out lesswrong.com, and came across "The Worst Argument In The World", and realized it could be quickly and easily employed at PD.com.

I like it because it's about definitions of words and semantics, but then overcomes and moves beyond the purely semantic argument.  It includes both the specific definition, but also the common usage and context.

Basically, the worst argument comes in this format:

"X is in a category whose archetypal member has certain features. Therefore, we should judge X as if it also had those features, even though it doesn't."

So, (to use an example from the article (and I am more or less paraphrasing the article in this post)) While MLK, Jr actually did break the law, get arrested, and go to jail, it seems entirely disingenuous to say he's a bad person because he's a "criminal".

"Criminal", while technically a correct label for some of MLK, Jr's actions, does not fit the archetypical attitudes, motiviations, or emotional reaction to the vast majority of those in the set of "criminal".

This seems to fit a lot of political and social arguments, such as "abortion is murder" and "taxation is theft", and recognition of this type of argument could possibly allow us to leapfrog the argument when it gets to this point, so instead of pulling out dictionaries when someone says "affirmitive action is discriminatory", we could simply answer, "It doesn't matter how we define discrimination at this particular moment, let's discuss the costs and benefits of affirmative action like mature adults".

I realize that this may look really fucking close to E-prime, but at least it doesn't force us to mutate our syntax any worse that we already do.

The Good Reverend Roger

I don't see it as eprime.  I see it as rational thought, and the ability to use basic 3rd grade set theory.

All apples are round objects.  Not all round objects are apples.

Everyone convicted of a crime is a criminal.  Not all criminals are convicted of a crime.

Some criminals are bad because they broke good laws.  Some criminals are not bad, because they broke bad laws.

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

LMNO

Yup.  It's a shame a lot of people don't know they're doing this.

It's even more of a shame that a lot of people know, but don't care.

I want to set on fire the people that do it on purpose.

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on August 28, 2012, 06:25:48 PM
Yup.  It's a shame a lot of people don't know they're doing this.

It's even more of a shame that a lot of people know, but don't care.

I want to set on fire the people that do it on purpose.

Superpacs, you are on notice:  The Big Gay Cowboy has a blowtorch!
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Anna Mae Bollocks

Dogs have fangs.

Dogs make good pets.

Animals with fangs make good pets.
Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

tyrannosaurus vex

Quote from: TEXAS FAIRIES FOR ALL YOU SPAGS on August 28, 2012, 06:46:58 PM
Dogs have fangs.

Dogs make good pets.

Animals with fangs make good pets.

No no, the point is to arrive at a false conclusion.

Actually this sheds a lot of light on how and where communication can break down. Together with Roger's explanation of the steps in communicating ideas, it may be worth posting as a "basic guidelines to maintain bipedalism."
Evil and Unfeeling Arse-Flenser From The City of the Damned.

P3nT4gR4m

Quote from: v3x on August 28, 2012, 06:51:45 PM
Quote from: TEXAS FAIRIES FOR ALL YOU SPAGS on August 28, 2012, 06:46:58 PM
Dogs have fangs.

Dogs make good pets.

Animals with fangs make good pets.

No no, the point is to arrive at a false conclusion.

Actually this sheds a lot of light on how and where communication can break down. Together with Roger's explanation of the steps in communicating ideas, it may be worth posting as a "basic guidelines to maintain bipedalism."

Calling people on it, would seem to be the order of the day. It strikes me as being like the bastard cousin of false dichotomy. Like the other side of the same coin or something.

I'm up to my arse in Brexit Numpties, but I want more.  Target-rich environments are the new sexy.
Not actually a meat product.
Ass-Kicking & Foot-Stomping Ancient Master of SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK
Awful and Bent Behemothic Results of Last Night's Painful Squat.
High Altitude Haggis-Filled Sex Bucket From Beyond Time and Space.
Internet Monkey Person of Filthy and Immoral Pygmy-Porn Wart Contagion
Octomom Auxillary Heat Exchanger Repairman
walking the fine line line between genius and batshit fucking crazy

"computation is a pattern in the spacetime arrangement of particles, and it's not the particles but the pattern that really matters! Matter doesn't matter." -- Max Tegmark

Cain

Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on August 28, 2012, 06:25:48 PM
Yup.  It's a shame a lot of people don't know they're doing this.

It's even more of a shame that a lot of people know, but don't care.

I want to set on fire the people that do it on purpose.

Mongols also set people on fire on purpose.  LMNO is clearly a savage barbarian and is not to be trusted in civilized company.

LMNO

You know who else called people savage barbarians?


That's right, Hitler.





Wait, I think I got that one stuck in reverse.

The Johnny


So basicly: prejudice, generalizations and stereotypes.
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Cain

Generalizations and stereotypes are the result.

Essentially, how this works is (x innocent trait) is shared between Class A and Class B.  Class B also has trait Y, which is considered negative.  Therefore, Class A is of a type as Class B.

Or, to use another example: Hitler is a vegetarian.  PETA members are also vegetarians.  Therefore members of PETA hate Jews and support genocide.

There's nothing inherently wrong with vegetarianism (well...except the preachy nature of some of its adherents).  But it can be used to link PETA to antisemitic attitudes and support for crimes against humanity.  The link is implied by the sharing of other traits and values.

P3nT4gR4m

Quote from: Cain on August 29, 2012, 08:23:17 AM
Generalizations and stereotypes are the result.

Essentially, how this works is (x innocent trait) is shared between Class A and Class B.  Class B also has trait Y, which is considered negative.  Therefore, Class A is of a type as Class B.

Or, to use another example: Hitler is a vegetarian.  PETA members are also vegetarians.  Therefore members of PETA hate Jews and support genocide.

There's nothing inherently wrong with vegetarianism (well...except the preachy nature of some of its adherents).  But it can be used to link PETA to antisemitic attitudes and support for crimes against humanity.  The link is implied by the sharing of other traits and values.

So wait, this argument allows us to call PETA members sociopathic nazi's and yet it's the worst argument in the world?  :?

I'm up to my arse in Brexit Numpties, but I want more.  Target-rich environments are the new sexy.
Not actually a meat product.
Ass-Kicking & Foot-Stomping Ancient Master of SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK
Awful and Bent Behemothic Results of Last Night's Painful Squat.
High Altitude Haggis-Filled Sex Bucket From Beyond Time and Space.
Internet Monkey Person of Filthy and Immoral Pygmy-Porn Wart Contagion
Octomom Auxillary Heat Exchanger Repairman
walking the fine line line between genius and batshit fucking crazy

"computation is a pattern in the spacetime arrangement of particles, and it's not the particles but the pattern that really matters! Matter doesn't matter." -- Max Tegmark

Cain

No, PETA are still sociopathic Nazis.  Just not because they refuse to eat meat.

P3nT4gR4m

and we still get weight them against a duck and then burn them, right?

I'm up to my arse in Brexit Numpties, but I want more.  Target-rich environments are the new sexy.
Not actually a meat product.
Ass-Kicking & Foot-Stomping Ancient Master of SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK
Awful and Bent Behemothic Results of Last Night's Painful Squat.
High Altitude Haggis-Filled Sex Bucket From Beyond Time and Space.
Internet Monkey Person of Filthy and Immoral Pygmy-Porn Wart Contagion
Octomom Auxillary Heat Exchanger Repairman
walking the fine line line between genius and batshit fucking crazy

"computation is a pattern in the spacetime arrangement of particles, and it's not the particles but the pattern that really matters! Matter doesn't matter." -- Max Tegmark