Rationalist Taboo

P006 • Epistemic Principles

Also known as: Taboo Your Words, Conceptual Analysis

Difficulty 3/10Medium LoadRare

When a word seems to be causing confusion or circular reasoning, taboo it: explain what you mean without using that word or its synonyms. This forces you to be specific about the actual phenomenon rather than hiding behind abstract labels.

Rationale

Breaks circular definitions and forces genuine explanation. 'Opium causes sleep because of its dormitive virtue' becomes impossible when you can't use 'dormitive' - you must explain the actual mechanism. Reveals when disagreements are semantic vs. substantive.

Examples

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Scope of Applicability

When two people seem to be talking past each other
When a definition feels circular
When a concept seems to be doing too much work
When you notice heated disagreement over category membership

Hazards

Replacing one abstract term with another equally abstract term
Thinking every concept can be reduced to simpler terms (some are fundamental)
Using as a rhetorical weapon rather than a collaborative tool
Demanding taboo when the term is actually clear in context

Begging the QuestionEquivocationP003

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F039 Begging the Question

Return to 2.3 Going in Circles

Fallacy 2 of 2