Not quite what the OP claims but see for example the Story of Mel: I had been hired to write a FORTRAN compiler for this new marvel and Mel was my guide to

Not quite what the OP claims but see for example the Story of Mel: I had been hired to write a FORTRAN compiler for this new marvel and Mel was my guide to its wonders. Mel didn't approve of compilers. ``If a program can't rewrite its own code'', he asked, ``what good is it?'' https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3008/pg3008-images.html#TheStoryofMel https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3008/pg3008-images.html... Though to be fair The Story of Mel supports rather than refute the argument against compilers.