There's a very big difference between refactoring and rewriting, IMHO. As you say, with rewriting you're throwing away functional code whereas with refactoring

There's a very big difference between refactoring and rewriting, IMHO. As you say, with rewriting you're throwing away functional code whereas with refactoring you're shifting it around. Both have their place but refactoring happens regularly whereas rewriting is a more drastic option that should be used only when absolutely necessary. Having a robust test suite is very important with rewrites to prevent regressions.