I don't know anything about Honderich, but that sounds like a very cliche insult that is typical of when someone doesn't want to actually take the time to respo

I don't know anything about Honderich, but that sounds like a very cliche insult that is typical of when someone doesn't want to actually take the time to respond to someone else's viewpoint in detail so it's far easier to simply dismiss with this type of insult. Seems like the intellectuals' equivalent of "he's a racist/sexist/etc." - the implication being that since that label has been thrown out there we no longer need to discuss what was actually said by the person.