This argument can be undermined by the fact that the concept of a unvisible or hardly visible (‘pathless’) path was a consensus in cartography and mountaineering[1] long before OSM existed. I don’t think we need to discuss this anymore.
The only question is when do we start talking about a ‘pathless’ path? When nothing is visible? When there are only small cairns? Only traces? How do the pathless proponents here want to demarcate that? What’s your concept?
[1] At least for Europe. See therefore Alpine route - Wikipedia and also state of the art topo maps showing glacier traverses and alpine routes: Swisstopo, ÖK50, IGN 25, DGK