Yes, a look at it in context in the essay confirms that — but isn't it a strange belief for someone like Paul Graham to have? It looks false to me (although "truth is common property" is ambiguous). I think a group could make itself very distinct by believing certain truths and doing certain rationally justified things.
I don't know whether it's strange for Graham to think this; I haven't read much of his stuff.
I found the phrase "common property" odd too. I associate the phrase with "commons," as in tragedy of the commons.
a group could make itself very distinct by believing certain truths and doing certain rationally justified things
I think LessWrong is distinctive, and part of its distinctiveness comes from its members' attempts to do the above.
Here's the new thread for posting quotes, with the usual rules: