Involution Labs

The Eleven Principles of Honest Reasoning

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tinabrescanu

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  1. Attack the argument, not the person.
    Character does not determine whether an argument is true.
  2. Represent opposing views fairly.
    Understand the strongest version of an argument before criticizing it.
  3. Seek evidence that could prove you wrong.
    Don’t only collect facts that confirm what you already believe.
  4. Follow the evidence, not your preferences.
    Conclusions should come from the weight of the evidence, even if they’re uncomfortable.
  5. Distinguish facts, interpretations, and opinions.
    Know the difference between what happened, what it might mean, and what someone thinks about it.
  6. Extraordinary claims require proportionate evidence.
    The stronger the claim, the stronger the supporting evidence should be.
  7. Correlation is not causation.
    Just because two things occur together doesn’t mean one caused the other.
  8. Admit uncertainty.
    “I don’t know,” “The evidence is mixed,” and “I may be wrong” are signs of intellectual honesty, not weakness.
  9. Apply the same standard to every claim.
    Don’t demand rigorous evidence from people you disagree with while accepting weak evidence from those you agree with.
  10. Be willing to change your mind.
    The purpose of reasoning is not to defend beliefs but to discover what is most likely true.
  11. Truth is determined by reality, not by popularity, authority, tradition, or emotion.
    A claim is not true because many people believe it, an expert says it, it has always been believed, or it feels right. Those may be reasons to investigate, but reality is the final judge.

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