Re: “using the phrase by definition, anywhere outside of math, is among the most alarming signals of flawed argument I’ve ever found.”
I can’t say I’ve noticed. What I do see is a lot of people arguing with one another without bothering to check that they are defining words in the same way. So, IMO making definitions explicit often helps to resolve apparent disagreements.
Re: “using the phrase by definition, anywhere outside of math, is among the most alarming signals of flawed argument I’ve ever found.”
I can’t say I’ve noticed. What I do see is a lot of people arguing with one another without bothering to check that they are defining words in the same way. So, IMO making definitions explicit often helps to resolve apparent disagreements.