Scott Alexander: Why Your Attempt To Solve Debate Will Not Work

NathanpmYoung · x · 2026-08-28

Scott Alexander critiques projects aiming to "solve debate" or map arguments, arguing they are well-intentioned but doomed to fail. He notes that real-world arguments rarely fit mappable logical structures. Even when they do, quantifying and comparing costs and benefits is incredibly difficult, and true disagreements often stem from values or background context rather than factual premises alone.

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