intellectual dishonesty
Intellectual dishonesty is the advocacy of a position known to be false. Rhetoric is
used to advance an agenda or to reinforce one's deeply held beliefs in the face of overwhelming contrary evidence. If a
person is aware of the evidence and the conclusion it portends, yet holds a contradictory view, it is intellectual dishonesty. If
the person is unaware of the evidence, their position is ignorance, even if in agreement with
the scientific conclusion.
The terms intellectually dishonest and intellectual dishonesty are often used as rhetorical devices in a debate; the label invariably frames an opponent in a negative light. It is an obfuscatory way to say "you're lying" or "you're stupid", and has a cooling effect on conversations similar to accusations of ignorance.
The phrase is also frequently used by orators when a debate foe or audient reaches a conclusion varying from the speaker's on a given subject. This appears mostly in debates or discussions of speculative, non-scientific issues, such as morality or policy.
See also
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
