Add tree diagrams and improve wording throughout
*Veritula* (Latin for ‘a bit of truth’) provides an objective, partly automated way to tentatively determine whether a given idea is true or false. It follows Karl Popper’s epistemology, which says that ideas are assumed true until refuted. This approach leaves us free to make *bold conjectures* and use the full arsenal at our disposal to *criticize* these conjectures in order to *correct errors* and *seek truth*. It’s a creative and critical approach. **Veritula is a programmatic implementation of Popper’sepistemology.**↵ ↵ If a criticism ofepistemology.**↵ ↵ Consider an idea `I`:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ ```↵ ↵ Since it has no criticisms, it iscriticized in turn, the criticismconsidered *unproblematic*. It isneutralizedrational to adopt it, tentatively consider it true, andthe originalact in accordance with it. Conversely, it would be *irrational* to reject it. Next, someone submits a criticism `C1`:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ |↵ C1↵ ```↵ ↵ The idea is now consideredtrue again.*problematic* for as long as `C1` is not addressed. How do you address it? You can *revise* `I` so that `C1` doesn’t apply anymore, which restores the previous state with just the standalone `I`. Veritulamarks ideas accordingly, automatically. Sinceoffers beautiful diffing and *version control for ideas*. Alternatively, you can *counter-criticize* `C1`, thereby neutralizing it:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ |↵ C1↵ |↵ C2↵ ```↵ ↵ Now, `I` is considered unproblematic again, since `C1` is problematic and thus can’t be a decisive criticism anymore.↵ ↵ Since thereare many ideas,can be manypotentialcriticisms (which are also justideas),ideas) and deeply nested counter-criticisms, the result is a tree structure.BecauseFor example, it might look like this:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ / | \↵ C11 C12 C13↵ / \ \↵ C21 C22 C23↵ / \↵ C31 C32↵ ```↵ ↵ In this tree, `I` is considered problematic. Although `C11` has been neutralized by `C21` and `C22`, `C12` still needs to be addressed. In addition, `C23` *would* have neutralized `C13`, but `C31` and `C32` make `C23` problematic again, so `C13` makes `I` problematic as well.↵ ↵ But you don’t need to keep track of these relationships manually. Veritula marks ideas accordingly, automatically.↵ ↵ Because decision-making is a special case of, or follows the same logic as, truth-seeking,this treesuch trees can also be used asadecisiontree.↵ ↵ Alltrees.↵ ↵ All ideas, including criticisms, should be formulated as concisely as possible.3 unchanged lines collapsedAgain, criticisms are also just ideas, so the same is true for criticisms. Submitting each criticism separately has the benefit ofcausingrequiring the proponent of an idea to address each criticism individually, not in bulk. If he fails to address even a single criticism, the idea remains problematic and should beconsidered false.↵ ↵ Therejected.↵ ↵ The more you discuss a given topic, the deeper and wider the tree grows. Some criticisms do apply to multiple ideas in the tree, but that needs to be made explicit. Ideas that are neither criticisms nor top-level conjectures – eg follow-up questions or neutral comments – are considered *ancillaryideas*.↵ ↵ Oneideas*. Unlike criticisms, they do not invert their respective parent’s truth status. They are neutral.↵ ↵ One of the main benefits of Veritula is that thestatetruth status of any idea in a discussion can be seen at a glance. If you are new to a much-discussed topic, the rational course of action is to adopt the displayed truth status of the ideasinvolved.↵ ↵ **Veritulainvolved: if they are marked problematic, reject them; if they are not, adopt them.↵ ↵ **Veritula acts as a *dictionary for ideas*.**3 unchanged lines collapsedVeritula solves this problem: it makes discussion trees explicit so you don’t have to remember each idea and its relation to other ideas. Veritula therefore also enables you to hold irrational people accountable: if an idea has outstanding criticisms, the rational approach is to either abandon it or to save it by addressingthem. To address a criticism, you either criticize *it* or revise the criticized idea so that the criticism doesn’t apply anymore.↵ ↵ Manythem.↵ ↵ Many people don’t like to concede an argument. But with Veritula, no concessions are necessary. The site just shows you who’s right. **Using Veritula, we may discover a bit of truth.**
Veritula (Latin for ‘a bit of truth’) provides an objective, partly automated way to tentatively determine whether a given idea is true or false.It follows Karl Popper’s epistemology, which says that ideas are assumed true until refuted. This approach leaves us free to make bold conjectures and use the full arsenal at our disposal to criticize these conjectures in order to correct errors and seek truth. It’s a creative and critical approach.Veritula is a programmatic implementation of Popper’s epistemology.
Consider an idea I:
I
Since it has no criticisms, it is considered unproblematic. It is rational to adopt it, tentatively consider it true, and act in accordance with it. Conversely, it would be irrational to reject it. Next, someone submits a criticism C1:
I
|
C1
The idea is now considered problematic for as long as C1 is not addressed. How do you address it? You can revise I so that C1 doesn’t apply anymore, which restores the previous state with just the standalone I. Veritula offers beautiful diffing and version control for ideas. Alternatively, you can counter-criticize C1, thereby neutralizing it:
I
|
C1
|
C2
Now, I is considered unproblematic again, since C1 is problematic and thus can’t be a decisive criticism anymore.
Since there can be many criticisms (which are also just ideas) and deeply nested counter-criticisms, the result is a tree structure. For example, it might look like this:
I
/ | \
C11 C12 C13
/ \ \
C21 C22 C23
/ \
C31 C32
In this tree, I is considered problematic. Although C11 has been neutralized by C21 and C22, C12 still needs to be addressed. In addition, C23 would have neutralized C13, but C31 and C32 make C23 problematic again, so C13 makes I problematic as well.
But you don’t need to keep track of these relationships manually. Veritula marks ideas accordingly, automatically.
Because decision-making is a special case of, or follows the same logic as, truth-seeking, such trees can also be used as decision trees.
All ideas, including criticisms, should be formulated as concisely as possible.
3 unchanged lines collapsed
Again, criticisms are also just ideas, so the same is true for criticisms. Submitting each criticism separately has the benefit of requiring the proponent of an idea to address each criticism individually, not in bulk. If he fails to address even a single criticism, the idea remains problematic and should be rejected.
The more you discuss a given topic, the deeper and wider the tree grows. Some criticisms do apply to multiple ideas in the tree, but that needs to be made explicit.Ideas that are neither criticisms nor top-level conjectures – eg follow-up questions or neutral comments – are considered ancillary ideas. Unlike criticisms, they do not invert their respective parent’s truth status. They are neutral.
One of the main benefits of Veritula is that the truth status of any idea in a discussion can be seen at a glance. If you are new to a much-discussed topic, the rational course of action is to adopt the displayed truth status of the ideas involved: if they are marked problematic, reject them; if they are not, adopt them.
Veritula acts as a dictionary for ideas.
3 unchanged lines collapsed
Veritula solves this problem: it makes discussion trees explicit so you don’t have to remember each idea and its relation to other ideas. Veritula therefore also enables you to hold irrational people accountable: if an idea has outstanding criticisms, the rational approach is to either abandon it or to save it by addressing them.
Many people don’t like to concede an argument. But with Veritula, no concessions are necessary. The site just shows you who’s right.Using Veritula, we may discover a bit of truth.