Okay, so taking a look at this checklist for LessWrong, we get...
People are put in physically or emotionally distressing situations;
Nope. (Well, not intentionally, anyway… does the basilisk count? People did have nightmares from that...)
Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized;
...Sort of? I mean, “rationality” is trumpeted as the Winning Way, but I’d say that’s justified in that it is the Winning Way. Besides, the category of “rationality” is rather broad, which might mean it doesn’t satisfy the definition of “one simple explanation”… eh. Tentatively going with “yes” for now.
They receive what seems to be unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader or group;
Uh, yeah, not even close.
They get a new identity based on the group;
Pretty clear that this one gets a “yes”. People self-identify as “LWers” all the time.
They are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives and the mainstream culture)
Nope.
So, LessWrong meets two of the five criteria, and does not satisfy the remaining three. Does that make it a cult, or not?
Note: “it’s justified by being true” doesn’t help distinguish cults. You seem to be aware of this, though, because you still count that component of cultishness as true.
Okay, so taking a look at this checklist for LessWrong, we get...
Nope. (Well, not intentionally, anyway… does the basilisk count? People did have nightmares from that...)
...Sort of? I mean, “rationality” is trumpeted as the Winning Way, but I’d say that’s justified in that it is the Winning Way. Besides, the category of “rationality” is rather broad, which might mean it doesn’t satisfy the definition of “one simple explanation”… eh. Tentatively going with “yes” for now.
Uh, yeah, not even close.
Pretty clear that this one gets a “yes”. People self-identify as “LWers” all the time.
Nope.
So, LessWrong meets two of the five criteria, and does not satisfy the remaining three. Does that make it a cult, or not?
Note: “it’s justified by being true” doesn’t help distinguish cults. You seem to be aware of this, though, because you still count that component of cultishness as true.