Bad advice: Philosophy Forums

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Bad advice

wuliheron
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Posted 07/04/09 - 10:01 PM:	#11
It is more often than not in my experience bad advice to give any advice (sic).

Incision
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Posted 07/04/09 - 11:50 PM:	#12
Wow, someone found this old topic? zjerome wrote: I would add its bad advice to base advice off of most philosophers or relevant experts. It's not bad advice to follow the advice of relevant authorities, if indeed such there be. The consensus view of experts has a tendency to be at least the best-evidenced view available, and may even have a tendency to be right. wuliheron wrote: It is more often than not in my experience bad advice to give any advice (sic). Then in the spirit of this quote, I will be sure not to take your nonadvice.

zjerome
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Posted 07/05/09 - 06:03 AM:	#13
That is often true, but I think it sometimes leads to blindly following/accepting a theory that even if mostly true could be improved upon. “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” Yeah I don't know how I found this thread I just realized how old it is!

wuliheron
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Posted 07/05/09 - 08:25 AM:	#14
Incision wrote: Wow, someone found this old topic? It's not bad advice to follow the advice of relevant authorities, if indeed such there be. The consensus view of experts has a tendency to be at least the best-evidenced view available, and may even have a tendency to be right. Then in the spirit of this quote, I will be sure not to take your nonadvice. Good for you! I think you are getting this critical thinking thing!

Incision
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Posted 07/05/09 - 11:37 AM:	#15
zjerome wrote: That is often true, but I think it sometimes leads to blindly following/accepting a theory that even if mostly true could be improved upon. "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies." I can agree with that. The extreme position, rejection of any appeal to authority as unworthy of a thinking person, is my personal pet peeve. That a large majority of experts have for well-thought-out reasons come to one conclusion is a strong argument for that conclusion. However, expert consensus has historically often been wrong, and we shouldn't treat its defeat as impossible. wuliheron wrote: Good for you! I think you are getting this critical thinking thing! I appreciate this compliment without undue bias from flattery. But seriously, why do you think all advice is bad advice?

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