Quote:
Originally Posted by HilbertSpace
...it seems to me that he's really using this to rally the troops, as it were, and to make the point that the evolution debate in the US is a symptom, rather than the central problem.
For example, when he talks about touring the US, he talks about people coming up to him at book signings and thanking him for saying what they were thinking. He doesn't talk about people saying that he opened their eyes.
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That's good. With the Great Mushy Middle who don't have a strong opinion either way, the perception of how many people agree with a position matters. (aka the Bandwagon Effect.) The fundies have influence out of proportion to their numbers because they're loud, and being loud increases their perceived numbers. If Dawkins and others can increase the perceived numbers of rationalists, they will gain influence and the fundies will lose it. All without persuading anyone.
Could that be called meta-persuasion?
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