Authorities are Dangerous

[lulie]

Using authorities to back up your arguments is not only pointless and false (justificationism), but a danger to rationality: if you have a favourite authority and have invested a lot in that authority, you may be defensive/resistant when someone challenges his ideas (even if they're not his main ideas, and you would agree otherwise). Talking about

Comments

[ockeroid]

"Talking about ideas doesn't run into that problem."

Unless you're seen as an authority.

[lulie]

Then there are different problems (e.g. people being uncritical).