I agree: one can have multiple reasons for having (or professing) a belief. For that reason, to me saying “X believes Y because Z” (where Z is a disreputable reason and one would otherwise assume something less disreputable) is rather uninteresting if not accompanied by actual evidence that the other less-disreputable reasons aren’t sufficient explanation for X to believe Y.
In the present case, Scott is known to be a good thinker, and has given (not particularly disreputable) reasons for believing Y; rationalists on the whole are also pretty good thinkers (Nate and Eliezer included); if you think their opinions on this point are mostly the result of political prejudice, you’re entitled to think that but I don’t see any good reason to agree.
I agree: one can have multiple reasons for having (or professing) a belief. For that reason, to me saying “X believes Y because Z” (where Z is a disreputable reason and one would otherwise assume something less disreputable) is rather uninteresting if not accompanied by actual evidence that the other less-disreputable reasons aren’t sufficient explanation for X to believe Y.
In the present case, Scott is known to be a good thinker, and has given (not particularly disreputable) reasons for believing Y; rationalists on the whole are also pretty good thinkers (Nate and Eliezer included); if you think their opinions on this point are mostly the result of political prejudice, you’re entitled to think that but I don’t see any good reason to agree.