N_MacDonald comments on Rationality quotes: October 2010 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: Morendil 05 October 2010 11:38AM

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Comment author: N_MacDonald 12 October 2010 09:30:14AM 15 points [-]

No, they don't want a dogmatic and intolerant pilot. They want an empirical pilot who trusts his observations and instruments and uses them to make the best judgement regarding how to operate the plane.

On the other hand, a dogmatic, absolutist pilot who is absolutely sure as to the best way to land the airplane under all conditions, ignores his instruments, weather conditions and data from the control towers, and never listens to his flight crew... is a recipe for disaster.

Dogmatic absolutists mistake observation, skepticism, tolerance and empiricism for "fuzzy thinking". They don't realize that their own thinking is the very opposite of scientific thinking- which is based on observation, not fixed dogmas.

Comment author: Apprentice 12 October 2010 10:44:08AM 0 points [-]

I agree! And I think atheist writers, in their worst moments, fall into the same trap.

Comment author: ciphergoth 12 October 2010 11:41:03AM 2 points [-]

Could you give an example?

Comment author: Apprentice 13 October 2010 12:01:00AM *  1 point [-]

Well, the obvious one is the Dawkins quote on the airplane, already treated in ways I agree with by SilasBarta. More generally, I am troubled by atheist attacks on the idea of religious tolerance - Sam Harris says it's "driving us toward the abyss". I mean, really, if you find yourself nodding along to a pro-intolerance rant from Jack Chick then maybe you want to ask yourself some questions.

Even so, I, like Sam Harris and Jack Chick, think that Islam is awful and needs to be resisted.

Edit: Bleh, this comment came out wrong - it's more condescending than helpful. The subject is probably too complicated to deal with here. Basically I think religious tolerance has a fairly good track record and I'd want to be very careful in tinkering with it.

Comment author: ciphergoth 13 October 2010 07:23:18AM 2 points [-]

I agree with your last sentence. But I don't think you've provided an example of any of these writers doing any of the things attributed to "dogmatic absolutists" in N_MacDonald's last paragraph.