Normal_Anomaly comments on Rationality Quotes September 2011 - Less Wrong

7 Post author: dvasya 02 September 2011 07:38AM

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Comment author: Patrick 04 September 2011 01:37:22PM *  3 points [-]

I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.

-- HL Mencken

Comment author: Normal_Anomaly 04 September 2011 03:26:12PM 2 points [-]

I disagree, especially with the second part. For a trivial example, take the traditional refutation of Kantianism: You are hiding Jews in your house during WWII. A Nazi shows up and asks if you are hiding any Jews.

Comment author: Teal_Thanatos 04 September 2011 11:17:02PM -2 points [-]

I'm going to have to call you on this one, in your trivial example you are intending harm/chaos/diversion to/to/of the Nazi plan. Causing disruption to another is vicious, even if you are being virtuous in your choice to disrupt.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 10 September 2011 03:45:59PM *  0 points [-]

No, it is not.

vicious [vish-uhs]:

  1. addicted to or characterized by vice; grossly immoral; depraved; profligate: a vicious life.

  2. given or readily disposed to evil: a vicious criminal.

  3. reprehensible; blameworthy; wrong: a vicious deception.

  4. spiteful; malicious: vicious gossip; a vicious attack.

  5. unpleasantly severe: a vicious headache.

Comment author: Atelos 04 September 2011 11:34:46PM *  1 point [-]

Causing disruption is certainly vicious in the sense of aggressive or violent, yes. I, and apparently Normal_Anomaly, read the quote from Mencken as meaning that lying is vicious in the sense of immoral, 'vice-ious', and hence unjustifiable.

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