Rebuffal

Voltaire is much more critical of the Système de la Nature, adopting a position much closer to deism and spiritualism , fully aware that too strong a rebuffal of such views would not go down well with his royal correspondents.

That is the easiest ever rebuffal of a challenge I have ever done in my life.

This type of rebuffal operates almost as a kind of self-inhibiting mechanism, along similar lines to Bruce Dover's 'anticipatory compliance', which results in offering nothing unwanted in case one is sidelined.