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pedanterrific comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 14, chapter 82 - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: FAWS 04 April 2012 02:53AM

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Comment author: pedanterrific 05 April 2012 03:37:58AM 3 points [-]

To extend this line or reasoning a bit, there's no reason to think that Hat and Cloak and Santa Claus are any of the previously introduced characters

Why would Dumbledore lie about that?

Comment author: Vaniver comment score below threshold [+] (4 children)

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 05 April 2012 07:13:38AM * 10 points [-]

He carefully evaded the question of whether or not he was Santa Claus.

Nodding is not an evasion. It means "yes".

Comment author: pedanterrific 05 April 2012 03:57:02AM * 5 points [-]

So, you think he's not SC but wanted McGonagall and Snape to think he was? In that case, why carefully evade the question rather than just lie?

Edit: And I don't see

"Albus," Minerva said, surprised at how steady her own voice was, "did you leave those notes under Mr. Potter's pillow?" [...]

Dumbledore nodded to her, though the accompanying smile seemed a bit hollow. "You know me far too well, my dear."

as a 'careful evasion' anyway.

Comment author: anotherblackhat 05 April 2012 05:02:20AM -2 points [-]

So, you think he's not SC but wanted McGonagall and Snape to think he was? In that case, why carefully evade the question rather than just lie?

Some people believe actions carry more moral weight than consequences. To such a person, a lie of omission is a lesser crime than a bald faced one. They might, for example, respond "only a fool would say yea or nay" rather than actually answering a question, or quote some obscure piece of text and hope that you drew the wrong conclusion from it.

Comment author: pedanterrific 05 April 2012 06:03:07AM 3 points [-]

Some people believe actions carry more moral weight than consequences.

I'm struggling to imagine how the Dumbledore we've seen in recent chapters could be such a person.

Comment author: Randaly 05 April 2012 04:26:15AM -1 points [-]

If Santa Claus is aligned against Voldemort, as seems likely, then Dumbledore would want to conceal their real identity. And we already appear to know that Santa is on Harry's side, and so presumably opposes Voldemort. (Although I did overstate the case regarding Santa Claus in that sentence- I mostly just included him for completeness.)

pedanterrific comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 14, chapter 82 - Less Wrong Discussion

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