Scott Alexander, writing for Astral Codex Ten, describes a rhetorical tactic he terms the "Outside Criticism" trap. This strategy involves labeling an individual or group as a fanatic with a totalizing ideology, and then dismissing any engagement with critics as merely listening to "loyal opposition" within their own worldview. Even if the target demonstrates extensive engagement with diverse viewpoints, the critic can always point to a more extreme or distant critic that the target does not respect, thereby claiming the target rejects all outside criticism. Alexander illustrates this with examples from his own field of psychiatry, showing how he engages with colleagues and biopsychosocialists but not with Freudian, religious, or Scientology-based critiques. AI
RANK_REASON The item is an opinion piece by a known commentator discussing a rhetorical strategy.
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