torekp comments on [Link] Belief in religion considered harmful? - Less Wrong

24 [deleted] 17 December 2011 10:38PM

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Comment author: torekp 18 December 2011 06:19:08PM 2 points [-]

You're too kind by far. A category which is cognitively economical but classes a few non-dangerous items into a largely dangerous category, or vice versa, can still be extremely useful. So a criticism which points to such an instance (Marxism) is weak. But a criticism which invents such an instance (Nazism a la Thor) is beyond weak. Categories prove their usefulness is the real world.

The problem is - to paraphrase pragmatist's summary of the Hanson-Moldbug debate - Moldbug is thinking like a(n old-school analytic) philosopher. We need to think like social scientists on this one.

Comment author: JoshuaZ 19 December 2011 06:12:12PM -1 points [-]

This seems reasonable on its face except for the implicit claim that Marxism isn't dangerous. The history of the 20th century seems to indicate otherwise.

Comment author: torekp 20 December 2011 03:01:42AM 1 point [-]

Huh? Did you miss the "or vice versa"?

Comment author: JoshuaZ 20 December 2011 03:03:46AM 2 points [-]

Hmm. I think I did. Sorry about that.