If a claim has some bad logic in it, but then you fix the logic and the claim makes sense, you should believe it
Yes, I agree with that. However, I think it’s very easy to change the conclusion in the process of changing the inferential steps or the premises. If arguments were presented mathematically, using formal logic, I would have no objection to steelmanning. It would be obvious if the conclusion of an argument had changed in the process of fixing logic errors. However, we discuss in English, not math, and as a result I’m wary of engaging with anything other than the text as it is written. I do not have confidence in my ability to change my interlocutor’s argument while preserving its conclusion.
Yes, I agree with that. However, I think it’s very easy to change the conclusion in the process of changing the inferential steps or the premises. If arguments were presented mathematically, using formal logic, I would have no objection to steelmanning. It would be obvious if the conclusion of an argument had changed in the process of fixing logic errors. However, we discuss in English, not math, and as a result I’m wary of engaging with anything other than the text as it is written. I do not have confidence in my ability to change my interlocutor’s argument while preserving its conclusion.