Asking the question this way invites us to do something stupid, which is to think that it has an answer waiting for us, that the term “rationality quote” either really includes this kind of quote or it doesn’t and that epistemic debate can resolve it.
Really, “rationality quote” is a policy that we have, about what kind of quotes we want to have in these threads. We aren’t figuring out what the policy is, we’re collectively deciding it. So do we want this kind of quote in the thread? Well, if it’s useful, that’s a plus. It might be interpreted as support for something the poster doesn’t actually support, which is a minus. A quote with a double meaning like this is kind of interesting, and it’s fun to imagine Pascal turning in his grave hearing us use it this way. So especially if the double meaning is pointed out, I approve of this category of quote being allowed.
Asking the question this way invites us to do something stupid, which is to think that it has an answer waiting for us, that the term “rationality quote” either really includes this kind of quote or it doesn’t and that epistemic debate can resolve it.
Really, “rationality quote” is a policy that we have, about what kind of quotes we want to have in these threads. We aren’t figuring out what the policy is, we’re collectively deciding it. So do we want this kind of quote in the thread? Well, if it’s useful, that’s a plus. It might be interpreted as support for something the poster doesn’t actually support, which is a minus. A quote with a double meaning like this is kind of interesting, and it’s fun to imagine Pascal turning in his grave hearing us use it this way. So especially if the double meaning is pointed out, I approve of this category of quote being allowed.