“Yes, a group which can’t tolerate disagreement is not rational. But if you tolerate only disagreement—if you tolerate disagreement but not agreement—then you also are not rational”. Well, agreement may just be perceived default. If I sit at a talk and find nothing to say about (and, mind you, that happens R. A. R. E. L. Y) it means either that I totally agree or that it is so wrong I don’t know where to begin.
Also, your attitude on “we are not to win arguments, we are to win”, your explicit rejection of rhetorics (up to the seemingly-ignorant question “Why do people think that mentioning the death of some poor fella buying snake oil is argument for regulation?”—because bringing it up like that is a rhetorical argument to that side even if it is not a rational one) may be another weakness more or less common among rationalists. There are ways to sway people to your side, not necessarily including direct lies—and still rationalists tend to refuse using them.
“Yes, a group which can’t tolerate disagreement is not rational. But if you tolerate only disagreement—if you tolerate disagreement but not agreement—then you also are not rational”. Well, agreement may just be perceived default. If I sit at a talk and find nothing to say about (and, mind you, that happens R. A. R. E. L. Y) it means either that I totally agree or that it is so wrong I don’t know where to begin.
Also, your attitude on “we are not to win arguments, we are to win”, your explicit rejection of rhetorics (up to the seemingly-ignorant question “Why do people think that mentioning the death of some poor fella buying snake oil is argument for regulation?”—because bringing it up like that is a rhetorical argument to that side even if it is not a rational one) may be another weakness more or less common among rationalists. There are ways to sway people to your side, not necessarily including direct lies—and still rationalists tend to refuse using them.