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Should people really be able to discuss things they don't have the discipline to understand? Should average Americans be able to discuss race relations or econo
by traderjane 7y ago
Should people really be able to discuss things they don't have the discipline to understand? Should average Americans be able to discuss race relations or economic matters or should they simply... rightly receive superior accounts from those who engage in empiricism?
- dang 7y agoThose who "engage in empiricism" might want to look empirically at the effects their "superior accounts" tend to have on others. It's not so clear that this approach is working. To be specific about this site: on HN we have a clear mandate—intellectual curiosity—and a set of principles based on what serves that (https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html). Discussion that stays within those guidelines is welcome, and conversely, when it isn't able to stay within those guidelines, we intervene. There are different degrees of intervention depending on how badly the guidelines are being violated. But intervention, or moderation, or whatever you want to call it, is indispensable. The system doesn't reliably stay within the guidelines on its own.