There’s an implication in your comment I don’t necessarily agree with, now that you point it out: “we should be much more hesitant about assuming an object-level error we spot is real” → “we should ask for clarification when we notice something.”
Person A argues X, Person B thinks X is wrong and wants to respond with argument Y. I don’t think they have to ask for clarification, I think it’s enough that they speak in a way that grants that maybe they’re missing something, in a way that’s consistent with having some non-negligible prior that the other person is correct. More about changing how you say things than what you say. So if asking for clarification isn’t helpful, don’t do it.
There’s an implication in your comment I don’t necessarily agree with, now that you point it out: “we should be much more hesitant about assuming an object-level error we spot is real” → “we should ask for clarification when we notice something.”
Person A argues X, Person B thinks X is wrong and wants to respond with argument Y. I don’t think they have to ask for clarification, I think it’s enough that they speak in a way that grants that maybe they’re missing something, in a way that’s consistent with having some non-negligible prior that the other person is correct. More about changing how you say things than what you say. So if asking for clarification isn’t helpful, don’t do it.
See this old comment thread (especially my response to the response) for some related points.