Contact Us
Sign In
Sign Up
Rules Admins Moderation Log Random Post Random User
What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.

Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.

New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!

Rules
Recommended Posts And Communities
Recommended Realtime Chats
- Quokka's Den Telegram
- Astral Codex Ten Discord

p

cat

“Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here."

0 followers follows 0 users
joined 2022 August 17 11:39:09 UTC

Twas brillig, and the slithey toves

Did gyre and gimble in the waves

All mimsy were the borogroves

And the momeraths outgrabe

User ID: 88

cat

“Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here."

0 followers follows 0 users joined 2022 August 17 11:39:09 UTC

Twas brillig, and the slithey toves

Did gyre and gimble in the waves

All mimsy were the borogroves

And the momeraths outgrabe

User ID: 88

‎

‎

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

breaks?

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

something

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

before

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

on

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

continue

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

chains

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

comment

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

can

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

far

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

How

1

Context

Cyberyak

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

Reply with permalink: https://www.dev.themotte.org/post/48/cyberyak/72?context=8#context

And now an embedded link.

1

Context

frog

cat “Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here." 2yr ago

This is now a toad thread.

/images/1660736791516807.webp

2

Context

Link copied to clipboard

Action successful!

Error, please try again later.