Scott Alexander dissects the "outside criticism" Kafkatrap aimed at rationalists and EA
Astral Codex Ten · rss · 2026-11-11
Scott Alexander's long essay analyzes the trap where any attempt to engage critics is dismissed as merely "loyal opposition within your worldview" — Eric Raymond's kafkatrap. Using five circles of psychiatric critics as an example, he argues selective engagement is rational, then shows why "objective" prestige-based standards fail: they're belief-contaminated and push groups along a gradient toward power, abandoning distinctive beliefs.
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