Brandon_Watson comments on Against Devil's Advocacy - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (59)
In order to take a position other than the one supported by the data, we need to ignore the points that make that position invalid.
Perhaps, but devil's advocacy doesn't require taking a position other than the one supported by the data; the phrase "devil's advocate", in fact, suggests that you don't. (Otherwise, you'd simply be an advocate.) The devil's advocate proposes objections for which a position should have answers; this is different from accepting the objections, and certainly different from ignoring the reasons for accepting the position being examined.