Critical Fallibilism (CF) is a rational philosophy which explains how to evaluate ideas using decisive, critical arguments and accept only ideas with zero refutations (no known errors). An error is a reason an idea fails at a goal (in a context). CF explains why it’s a mistake to judge how good ideas are, how weighty evidence is or how strong arguments are, or to use credences or degrees of belief. We learn by an evolutionary process focused on error correction, not by induction or justification. CF offers an approach to thinking and decision making focused on qualitative differences not quantitative factors.
CF is an original philosophy developed by Elliot Temple which takes inspiration from Critical Rationalism (Karl Popper), Objectivism (Ayn Rand) and Theory of Constraints (Eli Goldratt). CF advocates policies to enable error correction (like my debate policy) and practicing with ideas so your subconscious can automatically use them.
Critical Fallibilism
Recent Articles
- Academic Literature for Multi-Factor Decision Making
- Taking Personal Responsibility for Debating Your Ideas
- Debate, Rejection, Priorities and Endless Meta Levels
- Checking Citations from David Thorstad
- Postmortems Help Address Causes of Errors
- Ignoring “Small” Errors
- Rationality Policies
- Engaging with Long Articles
Skills
Articles teaching skills or sharing practice activities.
Research
Research articles share Elliot's process of developing ideas. He often uses exploratory writing aimed at developing new ideas and explanations.
- Chat about Decision Making Math
- Breakpoints, Categories and Margins of Error
- Most Factors Aren’t Borderline
- Brandolini’s Law
- Integrating Conceptual Units and Combining Dimensions
- Yes or No Philosophy
- Evolution Summary
- Paths Forward to Correct Errors
- Challenging Paths Forward Questions
- Introduction to Reason
- Critical Rationalism Overview
- Critical Fallibilism and Critical Rationalism Bullet Points
- Bounds, Hurdles and Progress
- Yes or No Philosophy and Score Systems
- Fallibilism and Problem Solving with Meta Levels
- Critical Fallibilism, Evolution and Digital Error Correction
- Introspection, Overreaching and Emotions
- Organizing Rational Discussion
- Weighted Error Rates
- Progress Despite Emotions and Bias; Mastery of Sentences
- Learning, Habits and Automation
- Artificial General Intelligence Speculations
- Digital vs. Analog Thinking
- Flexible, Organized Knowledge
- Learning with Sub-Parts
- Regular Arguments
- Epistemology, Scheduling, Bias and Iteration
- Ideas Should Be Judged as Refuted or Non-Refuted
- Judging and Fixing Your Own Errors
- Error Correction Math and Types
- Learning Critical Fallibilism
- Brainstorming Advice
- Complex World
- How To Build Knowledge Skyscrapers
- Demand For Intellectual Discussion
- Rational Confidence and Standards for Knowledge
- Proper Knowledge
- Accumulating Progress
- Optimize Limiting Factors
- People Use Weighted Factors
- Kialo and Indecisive Arguments
- Weighty Arguments or Decisive Arguments
- Debate, Criticism, Argument Strengths and Intuitions
- Positively Presenting Ideas and Negatively Arguing about Ideas
- Learning With and Without Two-Way Communication with Others
- Similarity and Contextual Conversion Between Dimensions
- Evolution and Epistemology
- Uncertainty and Binary Epistemology
- Being Open to Debate (and Judging Intellectuals)
- Attention to Detail
- Fallibilism, Bias, and the Rule of Law
- My Experience with My Debate Policy
- Engaging with Long Articles
- Rationality Policies
- Ignoring “Small” Errors
- Postmortems Help Address Causes of Errors
- Checking Citations from David Thorstad
- Debate, Rejection, Priorities and Endless Meta Levels
- Taking Personal Responsibility for Debating Your Ideas
- Academic Literature for Multi-Factor Decision Making
Classics
Classics articles summarize and link to Elliot's best older work.
- Fallible Ideas Essays
- Fallible Ideas Videos
- Tutoring Videos
- Lying and Social Dynamics
- (Classical) Liberalism
- Paths Forward Summary
- Philosophy Outline
- Philosophy Introductions
- Idea Trees Links
- Practice and Mastery
- Overreach Summary
- Morality without Foundations
- Rational Discussion Links
- Improving Emotions
- Yes or No Philosophy Summary
- Resolving Conflicting Ideas
- Rationality Links