Comment by timr
1 year ago
> There is no logical fallacy in play here. Nobody is saying “the argument is wrong because of who said it”.
The OP literally dismissed the parent based on nothing more than the opinions of others.
> When assessing the probable significance of an agglomeration of empirical data, it’s valuable to know what experts in the field think about the data and their consensus about the inferences we can draw from it—even if the consensus might be mistaken
I already conceded that, if you have no ability or capacity to think or investigate the issue yourself, it's perfectly fine to defer to the opinions of others. But in doing so, you remain ignorant on the matter.
> because the consensus is usually right.
No. I understand that's a comforting belief -- and even politically charged, today -- but it's just an assertion.
More than just an assertion: the consensus is that the consensus is usually right, you see.
Well yes, exactly: it's just consensuses all the way down. Which is just another way of saying "I feel like it's right and you're wrong, even though I have no actual evidence either way."