The use of source requirements in bad faith—demanding sources in ways designed to be impossible to satisfy, or dismissing every source provided with shifting criteria. Source Sophism begins with "source?" and then moves through endless objections: biased source, outdated source, not authoritative enough, not primary enough, not the right kind of source. The goal is not to evaluate sources but to exhaust the person providing them. It's sophistry with citations: using the appearance of rigor to avoid engagement.
"She provided a source. 'That's biased.' Another. 'Too old.' Another. 'Not peer-reviewed.' Another. 'Predatory journal.' Source Sophism: source as infinite regress, citation as exhaustion. No source would ever be good enough because good enough wasn't the point."
by Dumu The Void March 8, 2026
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