Hard Problem of Fallacy Fallacies

The cultural and pedagogical consequence of over-emphasizing fallacy hunting: It trains people to be debaters, not thinkers; critics, not builders. When the primary intellectual skill becomes identifying flaws in others' reasoning, it fosters a hostile, zero-sum discourse where the goal is to "win" by exposing error rather than to "understand" by synthesizing perspectives. The hard problem is that this creates communities hyper-competent at destruction and incapable of construction, where every proposal is instantly shredded by fallacy accusations, leading to epistemic paralysis and cynicism.

Example: In a community meeting about a new park, every suggestion is shot down with fallacy labels: "That's an appeal to emotion!" (about making it kid-friendly), "That's a slippery slope!" (about adding a basketball court), "That's anecdotal!" (about a neighbor's experience). The meeting ends with no plan, only a list of logical crimes. The hard problem: The pursuit of perfect reasoning has prevented any reasonable action. The group is left with immaculate logic and no park. It's the tyranny of the critic over the creator. Hard Problem of Fallacy Fallacies.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026

Hard Problem of Psychosis

The fundamental challenge of bridging the experiential divide between the psychotic and non-psychotic mind. It's not just about treating symptoms, but about the near-impossibility of an outsider truly understanding the subjective reality of psychosis—where hallucinations have the sensory force of truth, and delusions form a coherent, alternative worldview. The hard problem is epistemological: How can therapeutic or medical models claim authority over an internal experience they cannot fully access or validate? This raises ethical questions about coercion ("forcing" someone back to a consensus reality) and the nature of reality itself.

Example: A man believes a government satellite is broadcasting thoughts into his head. Medication silences the "voice," but to him, the cure feels like the authorities successfully "jammed his receiver." The psychiatrist sees a treated illness. The patient sees a confirmed conspiracy. The hard problem: There is no neutral ground to adjudicate these realities. All therapy is, from one perspective, the imposition of one reality map (neurotypical, consensual) over another (psychotic). This makes "recovery" a deeply philosophical, not just clinical, process of navigating incompatible worlds. Hard Problem of Psychosis.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026