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> [...] present an issue as being more balanced between opposing viewpoints than the evidence supports. The idea that some evidence X supports viewpoint Y usua
by young_unixer 6y ago
> [...] present an issue as being more balanced between opposing viewpoints than the evidence supports.
The idea that some evidence X supports viewpoint Y usually requires some underlying moral assumptions. Many times it's those fundamental moral assumptions that are in discussion, not the evidence itself.
For example: if the scientific evidence is "lockdowns stop the spread of the virus", someone may say: "well, this evidence supports my viewpoint that we should be in permanent lock-down until the virus is completely eradicated". But that starts from the assumption that stopping the spread of the virus is always the most important goal and other considerations (economy, education, etc) should be ignored.
Fake facts are an issue, but once we agree on facts, we're only halfway there, then we need to agree on what to do based on those facts.
- jkhdigital 6y agoAgreed. There seems to be this assumption among certain partisans that the only reason people disagree with them is because they’ve been lied to. If everyone just knew the truth, then we would obviously be in unanimous agreement on policy etc. First example that comes to mind is the oft-repeated assertion that working class Republican voters have been duped into “voting against their own interests”. I’m of the opinion that misinformation, while dangerous, is often incorrectly blamed for problems that are really caused by fundamental disagreements in morals and values.
- XorNot 6y agoThis isn't a moral assumption this is just simplistic and stupid. Moral assumptions are pretty close to irrelevant in all practical issues, because they're not the simple little checkboxes people put them into for examples. But then they wouldn't fit in 2 and half sentences and we might actually have an attempt at a reasonable conversation rather then suspiciously starting from the conclusion one side wanted to start with.
- philwelch 6y agoSabine Hossenfelder has a great quote about this: > Science tells us what situation we are in and what consequences our actions are likely to have, but it does not tell us what to do. Science does not say you shouldn’t pee on high voltage lines, it says urine is an excellent conductor. http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2020/09/follow-science-nonsense-i-say.html?m=1 http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2020/09/follow-science-nons...