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You're offering commentary, not a counterargument. What specifically is Sowell wrong about?

by s4n1ty 6y ago

SantalBlush 6y ago
What specifically is he right about? Why do we require evidence when someone says he is wrong, but we do not require evidence for the numerous times in this thread where people say his book is “required reading”? First, everyone here who likes Sowell can put forth specific, concrete examples where he is right, instead of making vague statements about how brilliant he is and then demanding evidence only when someone disagrees.
- tengbretson 6y ago
  > First, everyone here who likes Sowell can put forth specific, concrete examples where he is right, instead of making vague statements about how brilliant he is and then demanding evidence only when someone disagrees. Why? The positive argument already exists. It's Sowell's writing. What are you asking for a cliff's notes? The disagreement you're talking about must obviously stem from something in the source material we're talking about. So what is it?
  - TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
    I'm asking for concrete evidence that his opinions have predictive power which has been assessed independently. If no such evidence exists then all we have is just-so story-telling, which can be discounted. The fact that a lot of people seem to believe his ideas are convincing is irrelevant to this discussion. People believe all kinds of things because they sound plausible to them - partly because other people have made careers out of working out how to push people's "This sounds plausible so I shall believe it" buttons. Which is why reproducible evidence and independent peer review are things. And why it's absolutely reasonable - in fact required - to question assertions that can't be grounded in them.
  - deiznof 6y ago
    It exists for economics exclusively, he has never proven himself in regards to social issues to be anymore than a common twitter conservative.
    - lawnchair_larry 6y ago
      Do you expect to be taken seriously when you dismiss someone with a resume like his as “nothing more than a common twitter conservative”? How do you even fool yourself into believing that?
    - thu2111 6y ago
      None of his books that I've read are about economics, they're all about social issues, including very deep ones like why people separate into opposing camps on political issues. It's really just worth reading some of that stuff before you decide he's just a Tweeter. He's basically the opposite of that.

You're offering commentary, not a counterargument. What specifically is Sowell wrong about?

by s4n1ty 6y ago

You're offering commentary, not a counterargument. What specifically is Sowell wrong about?

What specifically is he right about? Why do we require evidence when someone says he is wrong, but we do not require evidence for the numerous times in this thread where people say his book is “required reading”? First, everyone here who likes Sowell can put forth specific, concrete examples where he is right, instead of making vague statements about how brilliant he is and then demanding evidence only when someone disagrees.

tengbretson 6y ago
> First, everyone here who likes Sowell can put forth specific, concrete examples where he is right, instead of making vague statements about how brilliant he is and then demanding evidence only when someone disagrees. Why? The positive argument already exists. It's Sowell's writing. What are you asking for a cliff's notes? The disagreement you're talking about must obviously stem from something in the source material we're talking about. So what is it?
- TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
  I'm asking for concrete evidence that his opinions have predictive power which has been assessed independently. If no such evidence exists then all we have is just-so story-telling, which can be discounted. The fact that a lot of people seem to believe his ideas are convincing is irrelevant to this discussion. People believe all kinds of things because they sound plausible to them - partly because other people have made careers out of working out how to push people's "This sounds plausible so I shall believe it" buttons. Which is why reproducible evidence and independent peer review are things. And why it's absolutely reasonable - in fact required - to question assertions that can't be grounded in them.
- deiznof 6y ago
  It exists for economics exclusively, he has never proven himself in regards to social issues to be anymore than a common twitter conservative.
  - lawnchair_larry 6y ago
    Do you expect to be taken seriously when you dismiss someone with a resume like his as “nothing more than a common twitter conservative”? How do you even fool yourself into believing that?
  - thu2111 6y ago
    None of his books that I've read are about economics, they're all about social issues, including very deep ones like why people separate into opposing camps on political issues. It's really just worth reading some of that stuff before you decide he's just a Tweeter. He's basically the opposite of that.