Philosophical Writing...

"Philosophical writing should be motivated by the attempt to make any error stand forth clearly so that it is a target of criticism.  To conceal one's error with obfuscation and pretentious subtlety is, I believe, duplicity, whether recognized by the author or not.  In philosophy, we do not have experiments, only the light of reason to guide us in our attempt to reach true opinions and avoid false ones.  Anyone who obscures that light is defeating the enterprise, whether intentionally or unintentionally.  When I witness the use of obscurity as a method of defense of some faulty idea, and who has not, I experience disgust.  I attempt not to use such devious tricks for defending my own ideas, but I confess that I am uncertain about whether I always succeed.  I have a certain verbal facility, and it is difficult in the heat of debate always to employ it to the proper end.  I am willing to concede that an idea is erroneous once it has been shown to me to be so.  I have eagerly sought the refutation of my ideas.  Should I ever reach the point at which I am disinclined to seek criticism and amend my views in the light of it, I shall take to writing fiction.  For those who spin out some idea oblivious to sound criticism are, whether they know it or not, writers of fiction and not philosophers.  Criticism is the touchstone of philosophical inquiry, and those who shunt it aside, who dance away from sound criticism with indifference, are phonies and beguilers.  To protect philosophy from them is one of my passions.  Indeed, I see no reason to avoid rudeness, though I prefer wit instead, in dealing with those who lie to defend their pet theses out of vanity and egotism."

~Keith Lehrer, Self-Profile, 11.