Definition
Plain language
The strongest possible version of an argument against your own position.
As stated in the literature
In discourse, the practice of constructing the most charitable and forceful version of a critique before responding; used throughout this corpus as a structural device for fair limitations sections.
Also called: steelmanning
Why it matters: Building the best version of opposing arguments into your own analysis catches blind spots earlier and is a sign of a paper that's interested in being right, not just persuasive.
For example, before defending a result, the authors explicitly write out the strongest version of the objection that they expect critics to raise.
Heard on the show
“Let me push on the steelman case, because I think a careful skeptic has real ammunition here.”Episode 001 — When AI Models Quietly Protect Each Other From Shutdown