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From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: A new voice.
Message-ID: <681@cybvax0.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 11:47:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: cybvax0.681
Posted: Thu Aug 15 11:47:27 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 20:34:33 EDT
References: <2156@ut-sally.UUCP> <347@scgvaxd.UUCP>
Reply-To: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz)
Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Lines: 34

In article <543@utastro.UUCP> padraig@utastro.UUCP (Padraig Houlahan) writes:
> > The fact is that you've shown us only evidence of your scientific ignorance.
> > I stand by my description of you as the twentieth century equivalent of
> > a superstitious and ignorant peasant, who (because of his ignorance)
> > doesn't understand the difference between himself and men of learning.
> > I think the facts bear me out.
> > 
> > Mike Huybensz		...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh
> 
> Whether or not the facts bear you out is beside the point. I think vitriolic
> comments should be avoided, especially when they are unprovoked. Whether
> you agree with Dan, or not, he must be credited with having the sincerity
> to defend his point of view, and discuss it openly.
> 
> Padraig Houlahan.

Very seldom do I resort to attacks which could be interpreted as ad-hominem;
however there are situations where in order to combat fallacies of argument,
it is appropriate.  My source for the following argument is "How To Think
Straight", by Robert H. Thouless.

If someone would like to dig up my original criticism, you should see that
the context is some claim to prestige such as "I'm as good a man as you",
or "I know about science."  I don't remember the exact circumstance, and
it is gone from my system, else I would reproduce it.

In the chapter titled "Thirty-Four Dishonest Tricks" (of HTTS), some basic
fallacies of argument (and ways of dealing with them) are summarized.
Number 15 is "prestige by false credentials".  "The obvious remedy for
this is... to expose the falsity of the [credentials].  The prestige
then collapses."
-- 

Mike Huybensz		...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh