The moderate position is intellectually lazy because it averages out positions rather than critically examining them. Let's take three different scenarios.
1. Alice proposes 100% taxation. Bob proposes 0% taxation. Both of these positions are extreme and impossible to implement. Cecily, a self-declared moderate, argues that taxation should be 50%. This is probably still an unreasonable answer to most thinking people, but it's closer to a feasible solution than either Bob or Alice have.
2. Darshika says that 2+2 is 4. Eli says that 2+2 is 5. Freddie says that 2+2 is 4.5. I say that this is fucking ridiculous; one "extreme" is correct, and one "extreme" has been reading 1984 as a how-to manual again.
3. Abortion. You can't compromise on abortion and still be intellectually and ethically honest. Either you believe that abortions should be legal and available to any woman who wants one (but, of course, no one should ever be forced to have an abortion), or you believe that no one should be allowed to have one. The moderate will still try to average out these positions, usually by disallowing abortion under any circumstances but rape, incest, and the life of the mother (slightly to the left moderates will propose panels of doctors, include a health exception, or disallow late-term abortions). But if the life of a fetus is precious and valuable, it is that regardless of whether a woman has been raped or whether she just wants to be a size 2 again. And if a woman is a full human being entitled to control her own body or destiny, she is that regardless of whether she makes moronic lifestyle choices.
In short, I can't believe you cited vox_diabolica as an example of rationality. He was a massive joke in philosophy for being a complete illogical moron on an alarmingly frequent basis.
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The moderate position is intellectually lazy because it averages out positions rather than critically examining them. Let's take three different scenarios.
1. Alice proposes 100% taxation. Bob proposes 0% taxation. Both of these positions are extreme and impossible to implement. Cecily, a self-declared moderate, argues that taxation should be 50%. This is probably still an unreasonable answer to most thinking people, but it's closer to a feasible solution than either Bob or Alice have.
2. Darshika says that 2+2 is 4. Eli says that 2+2 is 5. Freddie says that 2+2 is 4.5. I say that this is fucking ridiculous; one "extreme" is correct, and one "extreme" has been reading 1984 as a how-to manual again.
3. Abortion. You can't compromise on abortion and still be intellectually and ethically honest. Either you believe that abortions should be legal and available to any woman who wants one (but, of course, no one should ever be forced to have an abortion), or you believe that no one should be allowed to have one. The moderate will still try to average out these positions, usually by disallowing abortion under any circumstances but rape, incest, and the life of the mother (slightly to the left moderates will propose panels of doctors, include a health exception, or disallow late-term abortions). But if the life of a fetus is precious and valuable, it is that regardless of whether a woman has been raped or whether she just wants to be a size 2 again. And if a woman is a full human being entitled to control her own body or destiny, she is that regardless of whether she makes moronic lifestyle choices.
In short, I can't believe you cited