Comment by RyanPaddy on Explaining vs. Explaining Away · 2010-12-21T04:06:04.302Z · LW · GW

KEATS: Explanations of gnomes and rainbows take away the sense of wonder they give me.

YUDKOWSKY: Gnomes aren't real.

KEATS: You don't say.

YUDKOWSKY: We should get a sense of wonder from accurate explanations.

KEATS: Speak for yourself.

As a general point about reductionism the essay may stand up well. As criticism of that poem, not so much. I for one enjoy both magical and "merely real" explanations, and see no contradiction in that. The sort of ideas people enjoy are a matter of taste.