Criticism

A criticism is an argument that points out an error in an IGC. CF treats criticism as the central engine of intellectual progress. Every improvement in human knowledge traces back to a criticism that identified a mistake and was then corrected.

CF emphasises that criticisms need to be:

1. Specific — about a particular IGC, not a vague "I disagree".
2. Argumentative — give a reason the IGC fails.
3. Ideally decisive — refute the IGC completely.

Criticisms are not the same as attacks

A criticism identifies an error in an idea. It is not:

• A personal attack on the proposer.
• A status move (using credentials or seniority).
• A vague feeling of "this seems wrong".
• A judgment of how good the idea is.

Why CF cares so much

In CF, criticism is what makes Paths Forward possible: if no one is willing to offer criticism, errors that other people already understand will remain uncorrected. CF's debate policy is built around being open to criticism, even from people you think are cranks, because you might be biased about which criticisms deserve attention.

"CF says valid arguments are criticisms or equivalent to criticisms. A criticism should contradict an idea and explain that the idea fails." — criticalfallibilism.com