For reference, Steel Man is a different task than the principle of charity calls for. The charitable interpretation is the best interpretation you can reasonably make of someone’s argument. The Steel Man is figuratively “the strongest thing you can construct out of its corpse”—it can include quite a bit that the author didn’t intend or even would disagree with..
For reference, Steel Man is a different task than the principle of charity calls for. The charitable interpretation is the best interpretation you can reasonably make of someone’s argument. The Steel Man is figuratively “the strongest thing you can construct out of its corpse”—it can include quite a bit that the author didn’t intend or even would disagree with..
To add a friendly addendum:
Reading a position charitably is polite
Making a Steel-Man of a position advances true understanding
This is just one of many examples of situations in which politeness potentially conflicts with seeking truth.